The State Health Agency J&K celebrated Ayushman Bharat Diwas to celebrate the successful implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in the UT of J&K. The main highlight of the event was the felicitation of the best performing hospitals, medical, paramedical staff and the team of State Health Agency.On the occasion the Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Vivek Bhardawaj applauded the agency for making strenuous efforts in covering most population of the UT. He commended the field staff associated with the agency for reaching to far off places in J&K.Bhardawaj remembered that health has eminence over every other necessity in life. He said, “providing free medical care to people is the greatest welfare measure envisioned by our PM”. He impressed that its importance can well be gauged by those who suffered in the past due to inaccessibility to the medical aid in times of medical exigencies.The CEO, AB-PMJAY, Dr Doifode Sagar Dattatray gave out that in order to percolate the benefits of the scheme down to the last prospective beneficiary the SHA has embarked on a unique initiative ‘GaonGaon Ayushman’. He said that the move aims at providing Ayushman Bharat Cards to the entire population within shortest period of time.
The CEO further apprised that to ensure all eligible beneficiaries are registered under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY-SEHAT scheme, camps are set-up for on spot registration of beneficiaries by CSCs. He said that the VLEs are being stationed in villages for ensuring 100% registration and awareness activities at grassrootslevel in association with PRI representatives and ASHA workers.It was also revealed that as per the data released by National Health Agency(NHA) J&K figures amongst the top 5 States/UTs with highest number of Ayushman Cards generated in the last six months. As per the data, J&K generated 19 Lakh Ayushman Cards in the last six months and proportional to the total beneficiary base, J&K is the best performing State/UT vis-a-vis Ayushman Card generation in the last six months, as was revealed during the event.It was made out that 236 hospitals are empanelled under AB-PMJAY in J&K. It was also said that all the empanelled hospitals of other States/UTs shall be deemed empanelled for providing services for all the residents of Jammu and Kashmir under AB PM-JAY and AB PMJAY-SEHAT schemes.It is pertinent to mention here that to avail premium free benefits, the government of J&K has established a network of more than 8000 Common Service Centres (CSCs) where a beneficiary can register itself under the scheme. The scheme is first of its kind universal health coverage in J&K launched by the PM on 26th December 2020 extending the benefits of AB PM-JAY to all the residents of Union Territory including employees and pensioners as well.Director SKIMS, AG Ahangar, SHA officers and medics, paramedics were among others celebrating this annual event.