New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) Over 70,000 people have pledged organ donation under the Ayushman Bhav campaign which aims to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services to every intended beneficiary, including those in the last mile, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.

Women outnumber men in pledging organ donation, said the health minister who also made the same pledge.

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The highest number of organ donation pledges were received from Maharashtra, followed by Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The Ayushman Bhav campaign was launched on September 13 by President Droupadi Murmu and was implemented during the 'Seva Pakhwada' from September 17 till October 2.

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Mandaviya said over 63.8 Ayushman cards were made while 1,13,41,303 Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs have been generated.

As many as 2,69,422 health melas have been organised at Health and Wellness Centres during the 'Seva Pakhwada' and witnessed a footfall of around 161 lakh people who availed free diagnostics services and medicines. Besides, 9,970 health melas were organised at Community Health Centres in which over 22.9 lakh patients were registered since September 17.

At the community health centres, 5,506 major surgeries and 25,716 minor surgeries were performed while 52,370 major and 32,805 minor surgeries have been planned. As part of the campaign, 14, 157 blood donation camps were organised and 2,27,974 units of blood have been collected. Besides, 1,08,802 Ayushman Sabhas have been held.

The Ayushman Bhav campaign aimed at achieving saturation coverage of health services through its three components Ayushman - Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Melas at Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Ayushman Sabhas in every village and panchayat.

Through the Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0, initiative the government aimed to provide Ayushman cards to remaining eligible beneficiaries enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), ensuring that more individuals have access to essential health services.

Ayushman Melas at HWCs and CHCs facilitated the creation of ABHA IDs (Health IDs) and the issuance of Ayushman Bharat Cards. They will also offer early diagnosis, comprehensive primary health care services, teleconsultation with specialists, and appropriate referrals, Mandaviya said.

The highest number of Ayushman Bharat Cards were created in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat.

Under the Ayushman Sabhas, gatherings in every village and panchayat played a pivotal role in distributing Ayushman cards, generating ABHA IDs, and raising awareness about vital health schemes, diseases and conditions, as well as blood donation and organ donation drives.

The Ayushman Bhav campaign was aligned with the vision of creating 'Healthy Villages' and 'Healthy Gram Panchayats,' laying the foundation for achieving Universal Health Coverage in the country, Mandaviya said.

Panchayats that successfully saturate the health schemes will earn the title 'Ayushman Gram Panchayat' or 'Ayushman Urban Ward,' symbolising their dedication to equitable healthcare provision, officials had said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)