New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): Marking a major milestone in India's journey towards universal health coverage, the Government of West Bengal is set to join the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) on June 8, the world's largest publicly funded health assurance scheme.

According to a press release, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the scheme in the State will be signed between the National Health Authority (NHA), under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

With the signing of the MoU, West Bengal will become the 36th State/Union Territory in the country to implement AB PM-JAY. The development marks a major milestone in the journey towards achieving equitable and accessible healthcare for all citizens across the nation, the release stated.

As per the release, the MoU signing ceremony will be presided over by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, J.P. Nadda, in the august presence of the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari; Pratap Rao Jadhav, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Ayush; Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers; Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary and Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Chief Secretary, West Bengal, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Health Authority and Government of West Bengal.

The release informed that Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY provides health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to eligible beneficiaries. Since its launch, the scheme has emerged as a cornerstone of India's healthcare transformation, reducing out-of-pocket expenditure and improving access to quality treatment through a vast network of empanelled public and private hospitals.

The implementation of AB PM-JAY in West Bengal is expected to extend financial protection against catastrophic health expenditure to millions of eligible beneficiaries in the State while enabling seamless portability of healthcare benefits across the country.

It will also strengthen the State's healthcare ecosystem by enhancing access to quality and affordable healthcare services, the release added. (ANI)