Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday praised the rollout of two major central government health initiatives in Delhi, calling it a transformative move for the healthcare landscape of the national capital.
Addressing the public via a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) in Delhi. “This mission of the double engine government is going to be very beneficial for lakhs of brothers and sisters in Delhi. I am delighted that people of Delhi, too, can now receive treatment under the Ayushman scheme,” he said.
The statement came after the current BJP-led administration in Delhi signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the central government—first on April 5 for AB-PMJAY, and then on Thursday for the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
Launched in October 2021, PM-ABHIM aims to strengthen the country’s public health infrastructure, making it more resilient to future health crises, including pandemics and outbreaks. The initiative focuses on building and upgrading healthcare facilities, laboratories, and surveillance systems across states.
These schemes had previously been declined by the former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi. The shift in policy marks a significant change in the capital’s approach to centrally-sponsored health programmes.
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda also weighed in on the development, stating that public opposition to these initiatives has been met with electoral consequences. “State governments that refused to adopt these beneficial health schemes are now being rejected by the people,” he said.
The inclusion of Delhi in the Ayushman Bharat schemes is expected to provide financial protection to thousands of families and improve the overall public health infrastructure in the city.
