Delhi Govt to sign MoU with Centre for Ayushman Bharat Yojana: Read how Arvind Kejriwal had deprived Delhi of this scheme for political vendetta
On Saturday (5th April), the newly elected BJP government in Delhi will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Authority (NHA) for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the State.
The much-anticipated event will be attended by Union Minister of Health Affairs JP Nadda and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. On Friday (4th April), Gupta held a meeting over the scheme and gave directions to the concerned officials.
She said, “Under this agreement, millions of families in Delhi will receive health benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh from the central government. Additionally, the Delhi government will provide an extra top-up of Rs 5 lakh. The state and central governments will work together for the effective implementation of the scheme.”
CM Rekha Gupta further added that 11 central government hospitals, 34 Delhi government hospitals and 46 private hospitals have already enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. She informed that an awareness drive will be carried out in the National Capital about this scheme.
The implementation of AB-PMJAY was one of the pre-poll promises of the BJP in the run-up to the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections.
Arvind Kejriwal maligned Ayushman Bharat, prevented its implementation in Delhi
Ever since Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was launched by the Centre in 2018, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government saw to it that the scheme was not implemented in Delhi.
Initially, the AAP government demanded that the scheme be renamed to ‘Mukhya Mantri Aam Aadmi Swasthya Bima Yojana-Ayushman Bharat’. In this way, he ensured that the plan did not take off.
A few months later in June 2019, the then AAP Minister Satyendar Kumar Jain said that he would not implement the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in the national capital. He instead promised to ensure 100% free healthcare in Delhi.
“What will come out of it, if it’s implemented in Delhi? Population of Delhi is 2 Cr, 10 Lakh people will benefit. We won’t do this. We’ll provide health facility to 100% population here. We won’t pick&choose. That isn’t needed in Delhi,both poor&rich will receive treatment,” Satyendar Kumar Jain had claimed.
In October 2024, the AAP supreme had demanded the implementation of his ‘Delhi healthcare model’ across the country.
“If medicines, tests, and treatment are all free in Delhi, then there is no need for the Ayushman Bharat scheme here. Modiji should study the Delhi healthcare scheme and implement it across the country,” he had claimed.
PM Modi had lashed out at the Delhi government for not implementing the central scheme in the State.
“I apologise to the people over 70 years from Delhi and West Bengal that I will not be able to serve you. I apologise because I will come to know that you are suffering. I will get the information but I will not be able to help you. The reason is that the Delhi and West Bengal governments are not joining the Ayushman Bharat scheme. I am prevented from serving older people of Delhi and West Bengal because of politics, the Delhi that I am speaking from, I am pained,” he conveyed during his address on the occasion of Dhanvantri Jayanti.
In November last year, all seven BJP MPs moved the Delhi High Court, urging the court to direct the Government of NCT of Delhi and the Department of Health and Family Welfare to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
In January 2025, Arvind Kejriwal dubbed the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana as the ‘biggest scam’ in the country.
“I am happy that the Supreme Court has also said that it is a fake scheme. Across the country it has come out that Ayushman Bharat is the biggest scam. When the central government changes and an inquiry is conducted, people will get to know how big a scam was Ayushman Bharat,” he alleged.
Kejriwal and his AAP government saw to it that Delhites never reaped the benefits of the central scheme. He prioritised politics over the welfare of the people.
With AAP now out of power, the residents of Delhi can finally avail the services provided under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Benefits of Ayushman Bharat
The government-sponsored health insurance policy offers free coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year at public and private hospitals across India for secondary and tertiary medical care. The policy, per the government records, covers all diseases from day one for both before and post-hospitalisation expenses. The beneficiaries can avail of cashless and paperless treatment in empanelled public and private hospitals.
No restrictions apply based on family size, age, or gender. The process identifies 80% of beneficiaries based on Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data in both rural and urban areas. Further, special emphasis is placed on covering diseases and treatments affecting women and children.
Government reports mention that premium payments varying from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 annually collected under the scheme are split by the Central and State Governments in a specific ratio. The scheme also receives additional resources from the Health and Education Cess, as well as financing from states to supplement the Central allotment.
It has been 6.5 years since the launch of the Ayushman Bharat scheme and it has brought countless smiles on the faces of lakhs of beneficiaries. The flagship health scheme launched by the government 6 years ago provides free necessary medications, diagnostic services, and preventative healthcare. Facilities like non-communicable disease screening- diabetes, hypertension, maternity and child health services, immunisation, and health promotion are also available under the scheme. The policy further improves access to specialised treatment through tele-medicine services, particularly in remote places.
The system covers both public and private hospitals, allowing for broader access to healthcare facilities. However, the empanelled hospitals are obliged to achieve particular quality and service criteria, resulting in improved healthcare services for the poor and needy people of Indian society.
For ease, the entire system is operated online, providing transparency, traceability, and paperless services to both beneficiaries and hospitals. The initiative actually seeks to reduce catastrophic healthcare spending for vulnerable groups by offering free treatment in empanelled hospitals. The scheme under the leadership of PM Modi ensures that underprivileged families have access to basic and advanced medical treatments without incurring financial hardship.
The first component of Ayushman Bharat involved the establishment of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM), which were previously known as Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC). The Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide a wide range of healthcare services, including preventative, promotional, rehabilitative, and curative treatment. The purpose is to make healthcare services more accessible to communities by providing Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC).
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