New Delhi, Sept. 23 -- The Union government's flagship health insurance scheme, which turned eight on Wednesday has benefited at least 600 million people since launch, according to data from the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

Prime minister Narendra Modi also posted a message on social media commemorating eight years of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB-PMJAY), which was launched in 2018.

"Eight years ago, Ayushman Bharat was rolled out with the idea that every Indian should have access to top-quality and affordable health care. Today, more than 60 crore (600 million) beneficiaries have access to Rs. 5 lakh annual health cover, making it the largest health care scheme in the world," he said on X.

The...