West Bengal has become the 36th State and Union Territory to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), completing the nationwide rollout of the Centre’s flagship health insurance programme.
The National Health Authority (NHA), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the West Bengal Department of Health and Family Welfare to facilitate the implementation of the scheme in the state.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Health Minister JP Nadda, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, and other senior officials.
Speaking at the event, Nadda said the inclusion of West Bengal marks an important step in expanding access to healthcare coverage across the country. He noted that since its launch in September 2018, PM-JAY has provided health insurance coverage to eligible beneficiaries and has become one of the largest government-funded health assurance programmes globally.
According to the Union Health Minister, more than 12 crore treatments worth over ₹1.82 lakh crore have been provided under the scheme. He also stated that out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure has declined in recent years, which he attributed to various government healthcare initiatives.
Nadda highlighted the scheme’s cashless, paperless, and digital framework, which enables beneficiaries to access healthcare services at empanelled hospitals. Referring to findings published in The Lancet, he said a large proportion of eligible cancer patients covered under the scheme were able to begin treatment within 30 days.
The Minister also referred to West Bengal’s HPV vaccination programme launched on May 30, 2026, for adolescent girls aged 14 years. According to him, over 33,000 girls have been vaccinated so far under the initiative, against a target of 7.65 lakh beneficiaries.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari thanked the Central Government for its support in strengthening healthcare services in the state.