As India's government health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) completed eight years on Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin said that the scheme continues to expand with the vision of a "healthier citizen" and a stronger nation.

He also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making healthcare security accessible for the citizens.

According to official data, India has more than 48.51 crore people holding Ayushman cards and has funded 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore.

Taking to X, Nabin stated, "Under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the Ayushman Bharat journey, which began 8 years ago, has opened a new chapter in making healthcare security more accessible to citizens across the country."

He mentioned that through Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, more than 60 crore beneficiaries across all 36 States and Union Territories are receiving annual health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh.

Nabin added that across the country, over 1.86 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have also brought over 500 crore healthcare visits closer to communities.

"Ayushman Bharat continues to move forward with the vision of a healthier citizen and a stronger Bharat," the BJP chief added.

The scheme covers about 33 per cent of India's population and spans a network of over 38,000 empanelled public and private hospitals.

The AB-PMJAY, a public health assurance scheme, aims to save families from catastrophic medical bills.

It provides cashless healthcare services for 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialities.

In March 2024, the government had also expanded the scheme to include about 37 lakh families of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), anganwadi workers, and anganwadi helpers.

Currently, over 44.81 lakh Ayushman cards have been created for ASHAs/AWWs/AWHs under the scheme.