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SRINAGAR : Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Tuesday chaired the Governing Council Meeting of the State Health Agency (SHA), during which a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and AB PM-JAY SEHAT scheme across Jammu and Kashmir was undertaken.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department; Commissioner Secretary, Planning; Secretary, Information Technology; Director, SKIMS; Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar/Jammu besides other concerned officers.
During the meeting, Chief Executive Officer, State Health Agency, Ananth Dwivedi, delivered a detailed presentation highlighting the achievements registered under the scheme, its financial performance during the current policy period and the proposed modalities for ensuring its continued and sustainable implementation across the Union Territory in the months to come.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary observed that Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as one of the leading regions in extending universal healthcare coverage under the PM-JAY SEHAT scheme, significantly improving access to quality and cashless healthcare services for the people.
He remarked that the scheme has enabled lakhs of beneficiaries, particularly from economically weaker and vulnerable sections of society, to avail specialized treatment free of cost in both public and empanelled private healthcare institutions, thereby providing substantial economic relief along with quality medical care.
Emphasizing the importance of the scheme in protecting households against catastrophic healthcare expenditure, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for maintaining transparency, ensuring timely settlement of claims and strengthening monitoring mechanisms.
He called for sustained efforts to further reinforce public healthcare institutions, improve beneficiary outreach and ensure seamless delivery of healthcare services under the PM-JAY SEHAT framework.
The presentation revealed that during the current Policy Period-8, spanning from April 17, 2025 to April 16, 2026, more than 4.08 lakh pre-authorizations were approved under the scheme involving a financial outgo of nearly Rs 775 Cr. It was informed that over 3.86 lakh claims were submitted under the programme, reflecting the extensive utilization of healthcare services by beneficiaries across Jammu and Kashmir.
The Governing Council was also apprised that public sector hospitals continue to play a dominant role in implementation of the scheme, accounting for a major share of treatments and financial transactions. It was added that more than Rs 515 Cr worth of pre-authorizations were approved in public hospitals during the ongoing policy period, demonstrating the growing capacity and strengthening of government healthcare institutions in delivering advanced treatment under the flagship healthcare programme.
While reviewing the future roadmap, the Chief Secretary was informed about various reforms and financial restructuring measures being contemplated for the upcoming Policy Period-9 to ensure long-term sustainability of the scheme without compromising the quality of healthcare services being extended to the people.
The presentation further outlined comparative projections between Insurance Mode and Trust Mode for implementation of the scheme. It was informed that under the Trust Mode, based on present expenditure trends, the expected annual expenditure is projected to remain substantially manageable while ensuring uninterrupted healthcare coverage to all eligible beneficiaries.
The Governing Council was also informed that certain changes approved in the Health Benefit Package by the competent authority are expected to rationalize expenditure and improve operational efficiency during the next policy cycle. The proposed measures include optimization of package rates in select specialties while safeguarding critical and high-end healthcare services.
The meeting concluded with detailed deliberations on future strategies aimed at preserving the gains achieved under PM-JAY SEHAT while making the scheme financially sustainable, more efficient and increasingly responsive to the healthcare needs of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
