Odisha marked a major milestone in public healthcare with the official launch of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The event, held in Cuttack on Friday, was attended by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and signaled the state’s formal integration into one of the world’s largest health insurance schemes.
The launch is expected to have a transformative impact on the state’s healthcare system. With the inclusion of Ayushman Bharat, around 4.5 crore people in Odisha—nearly 86% of its population—will now have access to free and cashless treatment at both government and private hospitals across India. This includes more than 29,000 empanelled facilities under the scheme.
The rollout comes after Odisha signed an agreement with the National Health Authority earlier this year, aligning its own Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana with the national program. This integration allows families already covered under the state scheme to be automatically included in Ayushman Bharat, expanding the reach of quality healthcare to over a crore families.
Speaking at the launch, Union Minister J.P. Nadda praised Odisha’s leadership for prioritizing healthcare and highlighted the benefits this move would bring to patients with serious illnesses like cancer. He also noted that nationwide, the scheme has led to early diagnoses and better treatment access, particularly for women.
To ensure that people across the state are aware of their new entitlements under the scheme, the government has kicked off an extensive awareness campaign. Events were held simultaneously at over 1,400 health centers across Odisha, helping spread the message that financial worries should no longer be a barrier to receiving essential treatment.
With this launch, Odisha joins the growing list of Indian states committed to achieving universal health coverage, aiming to make quality healthcare not a privilege, but a right for all.
