Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday indicated that the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme and Bengal’s Swasthya Sathi health cover would operate simultaneously in the state.
Suvendu announced Bengal’s acceptance of the Ayushman Bharat scheme after the new government’s first cabinet meeting at Nabanna. Asked whether Swasthya Sathi, launched by the Mamata Banerjee government, would continue, Suvendu said no existing welfare scheme would be discontinued.
“We stated this several times during our campaign. It doesn’t matter if they started 30 years ago or 10 years ago. We won’t discontinue them,” Suvendu said.
Officials of several private hospitals, however, expressed concern over reimbursements under Swasthya Sathi and said they would ask the new government for formal assurance before accepting new patients under the scheme.
A senior state government official later said the two schemes could eventually be integrated.
A team from the health department will meet National Health Authority officials in Delhi on Tuesday to finalise the details, the official said. “It will take some time for the Ayushman Bharat scheme to be implemented, as we have to prepare the logistics and follow the procedures. This is a transition phase, and eventually the two schemes could be integrated.”
At the news conference, Suvendu said: “Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that Bengal would be linked to Ayushman Bharat after the first cabinet meeting (of the new government). Today, we are connecting with the scheme. The chief secretary, health secretary and advisers in the chief minister’s office will formalise the necessary agreements with the Union health ministry as soon as possible.”
He added: “We will create a paperless office and update every portal. The direct benefit transfer will continue under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. But everything will be done with complete transparency. No dead person should be eligible for welfare schemes. Someone who is not Indian should not be entitled to a welfare scheme of the Indian government.”
Rupak Barua, president of the Association of Hospitals of Eastern India, welcomed the move, but said more clarity was needed regarding payments under both schemes.
“Today, we got clarity from the chief minister about the two schemes. We welcome Ayushman Bharat. We have seen two schemes being integrated in other states. Here too, we will follow the government’s instructions and accept both schemes for people’s benefit,” Barua said.
After the Assembly elections, there were allegations that many private hospitals were refusing to admit patients under Swasthya Sathi because of apprehensions over reimbursements.
“We have sought assurance from state government officials regarding reimbursement for Swasthya Sathi,” the CEO of a private hospital said. “We will continue accepting patients under Swasthya Sathi till Ayushman Bharat becomes functional. But reimbursement has to be ensured.”
Another official of a private hospital said treatment rates under Ayushman Bharat were higher than those under Swasthya Sathi.
“The rates are seven to 10% higher under Ayushman Bharat,” said an official of a private hospital.
In March 2026, Bengal’s then minister of state for health, Chandrima Bhattacharya, said Swasthya Sathi had covered more than 8.70 crore beneficiaries till February 2025.
According to a PIB release issued on July 25, 2025, more than 41 crore Ayushman cards had been issued across India and over 31,000 hospitals empanelled under the scheme.