A 72-year-old Bengaluru resident, diagnosed with gastric cancer, reportedly died by suicide on December 25 after being denied benefits under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) for treatment.
The victim, a retired state government employee, passed away 15 days after being diagnosed with gastric cancer, according to The Times of India.
The report noted that the patient was deeply distressed after discovering that the hospital refused to provide the ₹5 lakh insurance coverage under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) senior citizen scheme, for which he had enrolled. A family member explained, “Although we had created an AB PM-JAY senior citizen card offering ₹5 lakh annual coverage, the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO) denied the benefit, citing pending state government orders. However, they did offer us a 50% discount.”
Dr. Ravi Arjunan, director in charge of KMIO, confirmed to the publication that the senior citizen scheme had not yet been implemented, as the necessary government orders were still awaited. The Karnataka government acknowledged the delay, stating it was seeking clarifications on funding aspects. The scheme is designed to provide ₹5 lakh in free insurance coverage for individuals aged 70 and above.
A family member recounted the financial strain, stating that initial scans alone cost ₹20,000, with further chemotherapy sessions required. “We planned to begin two rounds of chemo at Kidwai. We were prepared to pay, but we lost him to suicide within two days. While I wouldn’t say it was solely due to the denial of the benefit, he was already under significant stress knowing it hadn’t come through,” the family member told the publication.
Another beneficiary, Lalithamba BV, a tech professional and co-founder of Hasiru Mitra, as well as head of campaigns for the Bengaluru Navanirmana Party, shared her own struggles with the scheme. She recounted that although her 87-year-old father received his card in early November 2024, it was not processed when he was admitted to a private hospital on December 13. “We contacted the Ayushman Bharat helpline, but they informed us that the government had not yet issued instructions for using the card,” Lalithamba said, as quoted by The Times of India.
The Karnataka health and family welfare department acknowledged ongoing issues with the implementation of the AB PM-JAY senior citizen health assurance scheme.
