Mega health camp in J&K's Rajouri helps elderly get Ayushman Vaya Vandana cards

Rajouri, Oct 5 (IANS) In a notable initiative in Jammu and Kashmir, the Rajouri administration organised a health camp on Sunday for registering senior citizens under the Ayushman Bharat Vaya Vandana Yojana and providing them with health cards under the scheme.

The Ayushman Bharat Vaya Vandana Yojana, a health insurance-cum-pension scheme for the senior citizens, has proved to be a boon for the elderly population in more ways than one -- by making expensive treatments accessible to them and ensuring better medical care, without burning holes in their pockets.

The mega health camp at Town Hall, Rajouri, saw the authorities distributing health security cover to the citizens aged 70 years and above.

The card, introduced under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, offers Rs 10 lakh of free health insurance, doubling the coverage of the earlier Golden Card, which provided Rs 5 lakh.

Hundreds of elderly citizens attended this camp. They got themselves registered under the scheme and got their Ayushman Bharat cards.

Many elderly participants, speaking to IANS, shared their joy over receiving it and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this generous initiative, terming it a big gift for the elderly.

They appreciated the government’s continuous efforts to support senior citizens and said that the new card will bring immense relief to poor and needy families by covering their major health expenses.

Rajouri CMO Dr M.L. Rana said the Vaya Vandana Card will allow senior citizens to access cashless treatment in empanelled hospitals across India, thereby ensuring better medical care without financial strain.

It was last year that the Modi government expanded the scope of Ayushman Bharat Yojana and included all senior citizens above the age of 70 years to include them under the Vaya Vandana Yojana.

According to official estimates, more than 1.06 lakh claims were settled till July 2025.

--IANS

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