Health Coverage Missed: 595 Bihar Villages Left Behind by PMJAY

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has revealed a significant oversight in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) in Bihar. According to their report tabled in the assembly, 595 villages were left out of the scheme’s benefits.

The CAG's findings shed light on the inefficiencies within the PMJAY scheme, which aimed to provide health cover to 1.21 crore beneficiary families in Bihar. It was discovered that crucial data about village enrolment was missing from the PMJAY portal, and the Bihar Swasthya Suraksha Samiti failed to update this information for auditors.

The report emphasizes the lack of Ayushman Cards issued in these villages, crediting this lapse to poor Information Education Communication (IEC) strategies and inadequate monitoring. This centrally funded scheme was meant to ensure up to Rs 5 lakh health coverage per family per year, but implementation gaps have deprived eligible citizens of their entitled health benefits.