New Delhi, March 8: Female utilisation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) services stood at 46.7 per cent from October 2019 to September 2021, according to a new study.
Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Kerala have a higher number of Ayushman Cards issued for women as compared to their male counterparts, the study showed.
Apart from expanding and creating a network of almost 27,300 private and government hospitals, AB PM-JAY has also greatly contributed in shifting the gender paradigm with over 42 per cent of beneficiaries availing treatment under the scheme being women.
The study on ‘gender’ under AB PM-JAY from October 2019 to September 2021 reveals that female utilisation of AB PM-JAY services stood at 46.7 per cent of the total utilisation. States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Sikkim observed higher female utilisation under AB PM-JAY than male for the stipulated period of time. AB PM-JAY currently provides as many as 59 packages and 77 procedures under the specialty of obstetrics and gynaecology for women enabling increased access to better healthcare services and, thus helping in the reduction of maternal and child mortality.
It has been also observed that obstetrics and gynaecology utilisation under the scheme is the second most utilised specialty after general medicine in over 15 states, it said.
Other specialisations like oncology and ophthalmology have also seen a higher female beneficiary utilisation than male. (PTI)
