The Andaman and Nicobar Islands marked the anniversaries of two flagship health initiatives of the Government of India, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), with awareness programmes, student participation, and new enrolments. The events, organised by the State Health Agency (SHA), reflected the growing footprint of these schemes in transforming access to healthcare in the islands.
AB PM-JAY, launched on September 23, 2018, completed seven years this week. The scheme provides cashless health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisations. In the Union Territory, 30,895 families, covering 82,215 individuals, have been registered under the scheme. As of date, 2,535 beneficiaries have been referred to empanelled hospitals on the mainland for advanced treatment, underscoring the scheme’s role in bridging the islands’ limited local facilities with wider healthcare infrastructure.
ABDM, which was launched on September 27, 2021, completes four years this month. The mission is aimed at building a national digital health ecosystem that ensures universal health coverage in an efficient, accessible, and secure manner. A key feature is the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), which allows individuals to create a digital health ID, store medical records securely, and share them with healthcare providers. As of now, 4,59,437 ABHA IDs have been generated in the islands, reflecting growing digital adoption in the health sector.
As part of the celebrations, the Programme Management Unit of ABDM, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, organised an outreach event for students of the Political Science Department at Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM). The programme included an orientation session on the digital health mission, an essay competition, and an ABHA card registration drive. By the end of the event, 61 new ABHA cards were created for students, providing them with direct exposure to the digital health system.
The combination of awareness sessions and essay contests was aimed at encouraging young people to think critically about the role of digital health initiatives in shaping India’s future healthcare landscape. The sessions also explained how ABDM seeks to integrate healthcare providers and patients in a seamless digital framework, ensuring continuity of care and better record-keeping.
Officials highlighted that the anniversaries were not just milestones but an opportunity to reaffirm the government’s commitment to ‘Health for All.’ In geographically isolated territories like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, schemes like PM-JAY and ABDM play a particularly vital role. They extend financial protection against high medical costs and bridge logistical gaps by connecting island residents with mainland facilities.
The ABHA card has emerged as a practical tool for residents, enabling them to carry a secure, digital record of their medical history. This reduces dependency on physical documents and ensures that critical medical information can be accessed by doctors even when patients travel between islands or to the mainland for treatment.
The celebrations also served to showcase the progress achieved so far. While PM-JAY has expanded access to hospitalisation services, ABDM is laying the digital foundation for future healthcare delivery. Together, they represent a two-pronged strategy, financial protection and digital transformation, aimed at making healthcare more inclusive and resilient.
For beneficiaries in the islands, the schemes have provided both immediate relief and long-term assurance. The steady rise in registrations under both initiatives points to increasing acceptance and trust among the local population. At the same time, challenges such as reaching remote communities and ensuring digital literacy remain areas for continued effort.
By involving students in the anniversary programmes, the SHA signalled the importance of youth as stakeholders in the healthcare journey. Awareness at the academic level not only informs future citizens but also builds a culture of informed participation in public health initiatives.
As the anniversaries were observed, the twin messages of affordability and accessibility stood out. The combined impact of PM-JAY and ABDM is gradually reshaping healthcare delivery in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, promising a system that is both financially secure and digitally empowered.
