Railway hospitals across the country will soon provide treatment to eligible families under the Centre's ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme, an official statement said on January 24.

In addition, eligible families will soon be able to get benefits under the scheme at hospitals under the New Delhi Municipal Council and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, a statement by the National Health Authority, the apex body implementing the insurance programme, said.

The NHA on January 24 signed an MoU with the Ministry of Railways in this regard. The Union government on September 23 had launched the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which aims to provide a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year and is likely to benefit more than 10 crore poor families across the country.

As per the MoU, identified medical establishments having inpatient hospitalisations under the Ministry's Railway Health Services department across its 16 zones will be empanelled with the PMJAY to implement the scheme. It will provide secondary and tertiary care to eligible individuals.

"The government is committed to developing a strategic partnership with providers to strengthen service delivery under the scheme so that the vision of AB PM-JAY becomes a reality. Empanelment of health care providers and institutions is a key aspect of this partnership," Dr Indu Bhushan, the NHA CEO, said.

Speaking about the collaboration, he said, "I am confident that our partnership with the Railways, the NDMC and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation will go a long way in ensuring access to quality healthcare to the poor in the country through Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme".

This will also help strengthen and expand the existing infrastructure and quality of services of these public hospitals, he said. "We are happy to partner with the NHA to implement Ayushman Bharat. This collaboration will help the beneficiaries get access to quality healthcare even in the remotest parts of the country through our network of railway hospitals," Dr Gajendra Kumar, the principal executive director of Health in the Ministry of Railways, said.