Port Blair, Oct. 24: Highlighting the persistent healthcare hardships faced by island residents, Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has urged the Lt. Governor to intervene and facilitate tie-ups between the Administration and local private hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
In a letter addressed to the Lt. Governor, with copies to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and Health Minister, the MP expressed concern that patients in the Islands are being denied the full benefits of the Ayushman Bharat scheme available to their mainland counterparts. He pointed out that due to limited advanced treatment facilities at G.B. Pant Hospital, many patients are being referred to mainland hospitals, forcing them to bear heavy travel, lodging, and food expenses—costs that the scheme does not cover. “The very objective of Ayushman Bharat—to provide cashless and accessible healthcare to all—is defeated when island patients must spend thousands just to reach the hospital, ” Ray stated.
He noted that several private hospitals and diagnostic centres in Port Blair—such as Apollo Hospitals, Rohin’s Hospital, Arun Hospital, Amrita Health Care, Ritika Diagnostic Centre, and Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital—already offer specialised services with visiting super-specialists from the mainland. Simple and non-critical cases like eye surgeries, cardiac consultations, orthopedic and gynecological procedures could easily be treated locally if these hospitals were brought under the Ayushman Bharat network.
The MP proposed that the Administration enter into MoUs with capable local hospitals to extend cashless treatment within the Islands, reducing both government expenditure on patient transportation and the financial distress of families. He further added that such an initiative would strengthen public–private partnerships, attract reputed healthcare institutions to set up new facilities, and create local employment opportunities for medical graduates and paramedical professionals from A&NIMS and other local institutions.
The matter, which was also discussed in the District Planning Committee meeting on Oct. 7, received unanimous support from members and officials who stressed the urgency of establishing such collaborations.
Ray appealed to the Lt. Governor to direct the concerned authorities to take immediate steps toward this arrangement, ensuring timely, affordable, and dignified healthcare for the islanders—a right that citizens on the mainland already enjoy.
