Since the scheme was finally rolled out in Delhi last April, at least 188 hospitals – 137 private and 51 government –have been empanelled. (Express Photo)
In the very first year of assuming office, the BJP government has signalled its governance priorities with a push towards expanding healthcare access for the poor. Among its most consequential decisions was the rollout of the flagship Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance programme. The scheme provides an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh per eligible household.
Launched nationwide in September 2018, the scheme has been positioned by the BJP as a welfare reform aimed at reducing out-of-pocket healthcare spending. However, in Delhi, beneficiaries were unable to access its benefits for years due to the refusal of the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to implement it. The political friction over PMJAY became a visible flashpoint between the Centre and the then Delhi government under AAP, with the BJP accusing the state administration of putting “political interests” above public welfare.
While launching the PMJAY extension for senior citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had publicly apologised to elderly residents of Delhi, stating that he was unable to extend the scheme’s benefits to them because their state government had chosen not to adopt it. The remarks underscored how healthcare delivery under PMJAY has also been interwoven with the BJP’s political messaging and campaign narrative in the Capital.
Since the scheme was finally rolled out in Delhi last April, at least 188 hospitals – 137 private and 51 government –have been empanelled. A total of 19,287 patients received treatment under the scheme till December 2025.
However, concerns persist regarding the scope and depth of the rollout. Major private hospital chains in Delhi have yet to join the scheme, limiting access to highly specialised treatment for economically weaker sections. Their absence has effectively meant that certain advanced procedures available at premium tertiary care centres remain out of reach for PMJAY beneficiaries.
Industry representatives argue that package rates under the scheme are significantly lower than prevailing market rates, discouraging participation by large corporate hospital networks. At the same time, officials indicate that negotiations are ongoing, suggesting room for resolution.
Dr Vipender Sabherwal, convenor for Ayushman Bharat and representative of the Association of Healthcare Providers India (AHPI), said the association has held several rounds of discussions with the National Health Authority (NHA) until last month. They remain hopeful that package rates under PMJAY could be aligned with those under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), whose rates were significantly revised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare last October.
The limited participation of large hospital chains is reflected in the treatment profile currently being accessed by beneficiaries. Most empanelled facilities under the Ayushman scheme are focused on eye care, general medicine and general surgery, followed by orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, ENT and urology.
The top five procedures availed include chronic haemodialysis, cataract surgery, treatment for animal bites, caesarean deliveries, and bile duct stone removal surgeries — indicating that while essential services are being delivered, access to more complex tertiary care remains constrained.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
