Today, On World Cancer Day, experts here stated that the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has become a major intervention in India’s healthcare system, especially for the treatment of cancer. Every year on February 4, we commemorate World Cancer Day. This year’s theme, United by Unique, emphasizes that each individual has a unique story, set of requirements, viewpoints, and circumstances that need to be taken into account.

“The AB PM-JAY has greatly lessened the financial strain on patients, particularly those from low-income families, who frequently incur catastrophic medical costs as a result of cancer. This program allowed those from low socioeconomic backgrounds to receive evidence-based cancer therapy without having to worry about paying for it, according to Dr. Abhishek Shankar, assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at AIIMS, Delhi.

According to a study that was published in The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia, AB PM-JAY has improved the chances of starting cancer treatment in India on time by 36%. This indicates that AB PM-JAY has a beneficial effect on patients’ ability to obtain and pay cancer treatment.

Launched in 2018, AB PM-JAY is the largest publicly sponsored health insurance program in the world, covering 55 crore people, or 12.34 crore vulnerable and impoverished households. For patients from disadvantaged backgrounds, Ayushman Bharat is a very promising and helpful program. Up to 5 lakh rupees in treatment costs are covered annually by the government.

Additionally, the program provides nationwide mobility, enabling participants to receive care at any hospital in India that has an affiliation. The most recent government data shows that 31,077 public and commercial hospitals are empanelled under PM-JAY.

According to Dr. Puneet Garg, Vascular Interventional Radiologist and Endovascular Surgeon at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, “The Ayushman Bharat list provides a wide range of procedures, such as the most recent cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and modern interventional radiology techniques. We are able to offer chemoembolization, ablations, biopsies, and stenting procedures under the interventional radiology umbrella, which have greatly benefited many.”

On World Cancer Day, actress and cancer advocate Sonali Bendre praised the Ayushman Bharat project, calling it a “game changer.” Sonali, who received a high-grade cancer diagnosis in 2018, stated: “I want to talk about a hard reality today on World Cancer Day. Every year, millions of people are impacted by cancer, and treatment can be extremely difficult due to late detection.

In the battle against cancer, early detection is essential. However, obtaining high-quality medical treatment has proven to be a major obstacle for many. Initiatives like Ayushman Bharat are revolutionary because of this. Numerous families can now seek prompt cancer treatment and vitally important early detection because to the availability of accessible and reasonably priced healthcare. The effect is genuine”, She continued.