PM Modi highlights Ayushman Bharat and Jan Aushadhi as key affordable healthcare gains over 12 years
New Delhi, June 14
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted India's progress in making healthcare more affordable and accessible over the past 12 years, citing flagship initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat and the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana.
In a post shared on X, the Prime Minister said the country has worked consistently to strengthen its public healthcare system and reduce treatment costs for citizens, especially the most vulnerable sections.
"Over the last 12 years, India has worked to make quality healthcare more affordable and accessible. We feel proud when we are known as the nation with the world's largest healthcare programme, Ayushman Bharat, which provides top-quality healthcare to the most vulnerable," PM Modi said.
He also underlined the role of the Jan Aushadhi initiative in bringing down medicine costs for citizens across the country.
"Other efforts like PM Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana have made medicines affordable. The prices of stents and knee implants have become affordable, and this has helped many people. At the same time, medical education has become more accessible to people due to more institutions and seats being available," he wrote.
"We will keep building on this ground covered so far in order to build a healthy India," he added, using the hashtag #12YearsOfSwasthBharat.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) is the Government of India's flagship health insurance scheme aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by providing financial protection for secondary and tertiary healthcare.
The scheme offers coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year and was expanded in 2024 to include all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of income. Beneficiaries receive dedicated cards and, in many cases, additional top-up coverage, while those under other government or private insurance schemes are also eligible to opt in.
Alongside this, the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), launched in 2008, promotes affordable healthcare by providing quality generic medicines at 50-80% lower prices through more than 19,000 Janaushadhi Kendras across India. The scheme aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure, improve access to essential medicines, and promote the use of cost-effective generics nationwide. Meanwhile, earlier on Saturday, the Prime Minister had also highlighted the role of youth-led development, stating that India's young population has been a driving force behind innovation and entrepreneurship through initiatives such as Startup India, Digital India, Skill India and the Atal Innovation Mission.
He said India's youth are contributing significantly across sectors, including science, technology, space, semiconductors, drones and sports, calling it a defining feature of the last 12 years of governance.
The statements came as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) recently marked over 12 years of governance under PM Modi, highlighting welfare schemes, reforms and development initiatives implemented during his tenure.
PM Modi completed 4,399 days in office on June 10, surpassing the record held by India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and marking over 12 years of continuous leadership at the national level.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiatives no doubt, but government needs to fix the ground reality. My father waited 4 months for a cataract surgery under Ayushman in UP. Paperwork is a nightmare at district hospitals. The intent is right but execution needs massive improvement. Also, Jan Aushadhi stores should stock ALL essential medicines, not just a limited list.
As someone working in pharma, I can say Jan Aushadhi has genuinely disrupted the market. Generic medicine quality has improved because manufacturers now compete on price and quality. But private hospitals still overcharge - capping stent prices was a start, need similar caps on other critical devices. Good move overall.
Very happy to see PM Modi highlighting this! My mother got knee replacement at 70 under Ayushman - Rs 5 lakh coverage was a lifesaver. The stents price reduction from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 7,000 is unbelievable. But elderly people need simpler process for card registration. Not everyone knows how to use apps. 🇮🇳
Impressive numbers but let's talk about preventive healthcare. We're spending crores on treatment but very little on preventive checkups. Most rural folks still lack access to basic diagnostic facilities. Ayushman covers only hospitalization - what about OPD consultations, tests, medicines for chronic diseases like diabetes and BP? That's where the real burden lies.
Living in a small town, I've seen Jan Aushadhi stores transform medicine access. My father's BP meds went from Rs 2,400/month to Rs 600. That's real change. But government should open more
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