New Delhi, March 23 : As many as 11.69 crore hospital admissions have been authorised under the Ayushman Bharat scheme till February 28, including 6.74 crore in private hospitals, the Parliament was informed on Monday.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav said that strict guidelines are in place to ensure that hospitals provide treatment to beneficiaries without refusal.

In case of any denial or irregularity, patients can file complaints through the Centralised Grievance Redressal Management System or call the 24x7 toll-free helpline 14555.

â??As on February 28, 2026, a total of 11.69 crore hospital admissions have been authorised under the scheme, including 6.74 crore admissions in private hospitals,â?? the minister stated.

â??Under AB-PMJAY, such grievances are monitored through a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at the District, State and National level,â?? Jadhav added.

He added that at each level, designated nodal officers and Grievance Redressal Committees are in place to examine and resolve the grievances.

The government also highlighted that the number of hospitals empanelled under the scheme has seen a sharp rise over the years.

â??From 6,917 hospitals in 2018-19, the network has expanded to 36,229 hospitals as of February 28, 2026. This includes 19,483 public hospitals and 16,746 private hospitals, providing a wide healthcare network to beneficiaries across the country,â?? Jadhav explained.

The minister said that empanelment of hospitals is a continuous and voluntary process, carried out by states and Union Territories based on need and availability of eligible healthcare providers as per National Health Authority guidelines.

On claims settlement, the government said the process remains regular and uninterrupted. Claims are settled by State Health Agencies within a defined timeline of 15 days for hospitals within the state and 30 days for cases involving treatment outside the state under portability.

/IANS