New Delhi, Feb 24 Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced that widow pension beneficiaries and persons with disabilities receiving government pensions will be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Their families will also be eligible to avail themselves of the scheme's benefits, she said.
The Chief Minister said that this decision will bring direct and meaningful change to the lives of lakhs of needy families.
The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister at the Delhi Secretariat.
Providing details, she informed that approximately 3,96,615 widow pension beneficiaries and around 1,31,515 beneficiaries under the disability pension scheme will directly benefit.
She reiterated that the government is firmly committed to ensuring that no poor, vulnerable, or needy citizen of Delhi is deprived of medical treatment due to financial constraints.
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is the country’s largest health protection scheme, and the Delhi Government has taken a significant step to make it more effective and inclusive.
Chief Minister Gupta stated that following this decision, approximately 5.5 lakh additional families will come under a robust health security cover.
These families will be in addition to those already covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PRS) categories, senior citizens above 70 years of age, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers, Anganwadi workers, and helpers.
With this, the scope of health protection in Delhi will expand in an unprecedented manner, she said.
She added that the decision is a strong step towards realising the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas”.
Through Ayushman Bharat, the Prime Minister has ensured health security for crores of poor families across the country, and the Delhi government remains committed to extending the scheme's benefits to every eligible individual in the capital, she said.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the government’s objective is clear: no eligible citizen should be deprived of quality and affordable healthcare services.
She said that 7,23,707 Ayushman cards have been issued in Delhi so far, including 2,74,620 cards to senior citizens. For effective implementation of the scheme in the capital, a network of 208 hospitals has been empanelled, comprising 156 private and 53 government hospitals.
Through the State Health Agency (SHA) in Delhi, more than 29,120 beneficiaries have received treatment under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) to date.
Chief Minister Gupta said this is not merely an administrative decision, but a commitment linked to the health and dignity of every needy family in Delhi.
The initiative marks a significant step towards building a healthy, compassionate, equitable, and inclusive Delhi, where the benefits of development reach every individual, and no one is left behind, an official said.
--IANS
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