Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted the distribution of Ayushman cards under PMJAY-MA Yojana in Gujarat via videoconferencing on Monday. As many as 50 lakh Ayushman cards, printed in Gujarat, are being given to the beneficiaries of PMJAY-MA as per National Health Authority guidelines.

An estimated 2.89 crore beneficiaries of the state are to be covered under the scheme, of which a total of 1.59 crore have been given Ayushman cards so far. Gujarat has also included transplantation package of liver, kidney, heart and uterus in the scheme.

The Mukhyamantri Amrutum (MA) Yojana was one of its kind health scheme launched by Narendra Modi on September 4, 2012, as the chief minister of Gujarat. It was a holistic health insurance scheme for BPL families and covered the entire cycle of a medical contingency, from diagnostic tests to post-hospitalisation care. Under the scheme, the government met the hospitalisation and surgical procedures up to Rs 2 lakh. In addition, the scheme also includes a provision for transport allowance.

Eventually, the scheme was expanded in 2014 to cover families with an annual income up to Rs 4 lakh and the Mukhya Mantri Amrutam Vatsalya (MAV) scheme was announced.

More than 46 lakh beneficiaries from Gujarat have benefitted from MA Yojana so far. As a result, more than Rs 8,000 crore has been saved by the poor patients. Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, around 7,500 health and wellness centres and 600 Deendayal Aushadhalaya have been set up in Gujarat.

The Government of India's PMJAY was later integrated with the MA and MAV Yojana by Gujarat in 2019.

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