India Needs to Be Super Healthy to Be a Superpower

AB-PMJAY provides health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per EWS family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

- ALOK MEHTA

Over the past decade, India's healthcare expenditure has seen a consistent incremental rise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is spearheading a campaign to transform India into a developed nation, akin to global superpowers, by 2047. This ambitious vision prioritizes education, healthcare, and security as its core pillars. Achieving this goal presents significant challenges, with a healthy India being the foundational step towards a strong nation.

In line with this mission, Delhi's new government is poised to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). On March 18, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with the National Health Authority, marking Delhi as the 35th state or Union Territory to adopt this health insurance scheme. West Bengal will remain the only state yet to implement the scheme.

The previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government had declined to implement AB-PMJAY, opting instead for its own health scheme. AB-PMJAY provides health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization, targeting approximately 55 crore beneficiaries from economically weaker sections.

Initially, the Delhi government plans to extend this scheme to six lakh residents, including Anganwadi workers and senior citizens aged 70 and above. The scheme is entirely digital and aims to cover around 45% of India's population. In October 2024, the Prime Minister launched the Ayushman Vay Vandana Card, benefiting nearly six crore individuals aged 70 and above.

As of January 31, 2025, over 8.5 crore treatments have been administered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, with approximately 4.2 crore in government hospitals and 4.3 crore in private institutions. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted India's focus on health as central to development and international cooperation, noting over 600 critical development projects in 78 countries, many in the health sector.