New Delhi, Feb 4
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has emerged as a significant intervention in India's healthcare landscape, particularly for cancer treatment, said experts here on World Cancer Day on Tuesday.

World Cancer Day is observed every year on February 4. The theme this year is United by Unique, which highlights that every person has a distinct story, set of needs, perspectives, and circumstances that must be considered.

“The AB PM-JAY has significantly reduced the financial burden on patients, especially those from economically vulnerable backgrounds, who often face catastrophic health expenditures due to cancer. This scheme made evidence-based cancer treatment for people of low socioeconomic section a reality by seeking care without financial stress,” Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at AIIMS, Delhi, told IANS.

A study published in The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia showed that AB PM-JAY has increased the odds of timely initiation of cancer treatment in India by 36 per cent, highlighting the positive impact of AB PM-JAY in enabling patients to access and afford cancer treatment.

AB PM-JAY, the world's largest publicly funded health insurance scheme, was launched in 2018 to provide health cover to 55 crore people, corresponding to 12.34 crore poor and vulnerable families.

Ayushman Bharat is a highly promising and beneficial scheme for underprivileged patients. The government covers up to 5 lakh rupees for treatment each year.

The scheme also offers nationwide portability, allowing beneficiaries to access treatment at any empanelled hospital across India.

As many as 31,077 public and private hospitals are empanelled under PM-JAY, according to the latest government data.

“The Ayushman Bharat list offers a comprehensive range of procedures, including the latest chemotherapy treatments, surgeries, and advanced interventional radiology procedures for cancer. Under the interventional radiology umbrella, we are able to offer chemoembolisation, ablations, biopsies, and stenting procedures for , which have significantly benefited many,” Dr. Puneet Garg, Vascular Interventional Radiologist and Endovascular Surgeon, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, told IANS.

The latest government data showed that more than 85.97 million people have so far benefited from free treatments worth Rs 1.2 lakh crore under the PM-JAY. PMJAY provides financial protection to deprived rural families. It also identifies occupational categories of urban workers’ families.

“Most of our patients come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and cannot afford treatment. However, government schemes have provided these patients with access to appropriate medical care, including interventional radiological therapies, systemic therapies, and, in select cases, even liver transplantation. These initiatives have significantly improved treatment availability for those in need,” Dr. Ranjan Kumar Patel, Assistant professor, Department of Radio Diagnosis, AIIMS, told IANS.

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AB PM-JAY a significant intervention in India for advancing cancer treatments: Experts