The number of people who have benefitted under the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Scheme has crossed the one crore-mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

“It would make every Indian proud that the number of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries has crossed 1 crore,” he wrote in a series of tweets, adding that the initiative “has had a positive impact on so many lives.”

It would make every Indian proud that the number of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries has crossed 1 crore. In less than two years, this initiative has had a positive impact on so many lives. I congratulate all the beneficiaries and their families. I also pray for their good health.

The PM spoke about his interaction with the “1 croreth beneficiary” of the health insurance scheme – Pooja Thapa from Meghalaya who is the wife of an army personnel – in a telephonic interview.

During my official tours, I would interact with Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries. Sadly, that is not possible these days but I did have a great telephone interaction with Pooja Thapa from Meghalaya, the 1 croreth beneficiary.

The prime minister also spoke about the benefits of the scheme and lauded the healthcare workers associated with it .

He said that one of the biggest benefits of the scheme is “portability” as the beneficiaries “can get top quality and affordable medical care not only where they are registered but also in other parts of India.”

One of the biggest benefits of Ayushman Bharat is portability. Beneficiaries can get top quality and affordable medical care not only where they registered but also in other parts of India. This helps those who work away from home or registered at a place where they don’t belong.

He appreciated the efforts of doctors, nurses among others in ensuring the scheme helps the ‘poor and downtrodden’.

I appreciate our doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and all others associated with Ayushman Bharat. Their efforts have made it the largest healthcare programme in the world. This initiative has won the trust of several Indians, especially the poor and downtrodden.

Prime Minister Modi had launched the Centre’s flagship health insurance programme Ayushman Bharat Scheme on September 23 in Ranchi that aims to provide Rs 5 lakh hospitalisation cover to up to 107.4 million poor and vulnerable families.