National Chintan Shivir on Ayushman Bharat, ABDM Begins in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: A national-level Chintan Shivir on Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jana Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) was inaugurated on Monday by Health & Family Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs and Electronics & Information Technology Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling at Swosti Premium here.

In his inaugural address, Dr Mahaling described ABPMJAY as a transformative outcome of the National Health Policy 2017, launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Calling it the world’s largest universal healthcare programme, he said the scheme has brought nearly 42 per cent of India’s economically vulnerable population under a structured health assurance framework. In Odisha, the scheme was launched on April 11, 2025, and within nine months the state emerged as the top performer in the distribution of ABPMJAY cards and ranked fifth in issuing Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana (AVVY) cards for senior citizens aged 70 years and above.

Highlighting Odisha’s integrated approach, the Minister said ABPMJAY has been implemented in convergence with the state’s Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana (GJAY). Under the combined scheme, each beneficiary family is entitled to cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh annually, with an additional Rs 5 lakh earmarked for female members. Senior citizens above 70 years of age, irrespective of economic status, are also covered under AVVY. With this convergence, nearly 80 per cent of Odisha’s 4.5 crore population has been brought under the health assurance umbrella. Dr Mahaling also suggested that the Chintan Shivir deliberate on the inclusion of Ayurvedic and Homeopathic treatment packages under ABPMJAY, alongside existing allopathic services. He added that Odisha has initiated the implementation of ABDM in line with guidelines of the National Health Authority (NHA).

Delivering the keynote address, NHA Chief Executive Officer Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal said the digital architecture of ABPMJAY and ABDM has been designed to onboard multiple service delivery systems while maintaining a uniform, pan-India healthcare standard. He noted that the large-scale health data generated through ABDM would significantly aid disease mapping, surveillance, and preventive and promotive healthcare, while ensuring the highest standards of data privacy, trust and security.

The two-day Chintan Shivir features six sessions, including five technical sessions. On the first day, deliberations focused on the progress of ABPMJAY across states, the Ayushman App, online modules for card creation, action plans for ABDM, e-Sushrut@Clinic, Arogya Setu App, drug registry, ABDM implementation in empanelled hospitals, and the national anti-fraud system aimed at preventing malpractice.

During the inaugural session, three key Memorandums of Understanding were signed—between NHA and BHASINI for multilingual access to health services, NHA and the Indian Institute of Science for collaborative research, and NHA and the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) to strengthen national healthcare standards at facility level.

Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Odisha, Aswathy S., delivered the welcome address. The event witnessed participation from 119 delegates and senior officials from 27 states and seven Union Territories, including Principal Secretaries of Health from Rajasthan and Meghalaya, senior NHA officials, and domain experts. The national event is being coordinated by Mission Director, NHM Odisha and CEO, State Health Assurance Society, Dr Brudha D.