New Delhi: Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari light the lamp during the MoU signing ceremony between the National Health Authority (NHA) and the West Bengal government for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday, June 08, 2026. (Photo: IANS/Prem Nath Pandey)
New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) In a major step towards achieving universal health coverage, West Bengal on Monday became 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 assurance programme.
The National Health Authority (NHA), under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the West Bengal Department of Health and Family Welfare for the implementation of the scheme in the state.
The MoU signing ceremony was presided over by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava and other senior officials from the Centre and the state government.
Addressing the gathering, Nadda described the occasion as a historic milestone in India's journey towards universal health coverage and congratulated the West Bengal government for joining the scheme.
He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, launched in September 2018, has evolved into the world's largest government-funded health assurance programme.
Highlighting the impact of the scheme, the Union Health Minister said beneficiaries have availed more than 12 crore treatments worth over Rs 1.82 lakh crore under PM-JAY, providing significant financial protection to poor and vulnerable families.
He noted that out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure in the country has declined from 64.6 per cent before 2018 to 43.4 per cent currently, reflecting the government's efforts to make healthcare more affordable.
Nadda said the scheme's cashless, paperless and fully digital architecture has enabled timely access to quality healthcare services.
Referring to findings published in The Lancet, he said nearly 90 per cent of eligible cancer patients covered under the scheme were able to begin treatment within 30 days, underscoring its role in improving healthcare access.
The Union Minister further lauded the West Bengal government's HPV vaccination programme launched on May 30, 2026, for adolescent girls aged 14 years. He said the initiative would help prevent cervical cancer and noted that more than 33,000 girls have already been vaccinated out of the targeted 7.65 lakh beneficiaries.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari thanked the Centre for its continued support in strengthening healthcare services in the state.
