PMJAY for Pregnant Women — Free Maternity Care
Every eligible pregnant woman can receive completely free delivery and maternity care at any PMJAY empanelled hospital. The scheme covers normal delivery, caesarean section, management of pregnancy complications, and even NICU care for the newborn if needed.
What Is Covered for Pregnant Women
Normal Delivery: Complete delivery care including admission, labour room, delivery, postnatal observation (48 hours), medicines, newborn care, and discharge with follow-up instructions. All tests during hospitalisation are included.
Caesarean Section: When vaginal delivery is not safe, C-section is covered — both emergency and planned. Includes anaesthesia, surgery, 4-5 days hospitalisation, medicines, and post-operative wound care.
High-Risk Pregnancy: Management of pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta previa, placental abruption, premature labour, and multiple pregnancies (twins/triplets). Hospitalisation for monitoring and treatment is fully covered.
Ectopic Pregnancy: Emergency surgery for ectopic pregnancy (embryo implanted outside the uterus) is covered as a life-saving procedure.
NICU for Newborn: If the baby needs intensive care after birth — due to prematurity, low birth weight, breathing difficulty, jaundice, or infections — NICU care is covered under PM-JAY’s Neo-natal Care specialty. The baby is covered under the mother’s PM-JAY card.
PMJAY vs Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
PM-JAY and JSY are different schemes. JSY provides a cash incentive (₹1,400 in rural areas, ₹1,000 in urban areas) for institutional deliveries at government hospitals. PM-JAY provides cashless delivery at both government and private empanelled hospitals. Eligible women can benefit from both schemes — get the JSY cash incentive AND have the delivery covered under PM-JAY.
When to Go to the Hospital
Visit the hospital when you experience regular contractions (every 5 minutes for 1 hour), water breaking (rupture of membranes), heavy vaginal bleeding, severe headache or blurred vision (possible pre-eclampsia), or reduced baby movements. In any of these situations, go to the nearest empanelled hospital immediately — PM-JAY covers emergency obstetric care without prior authorisation.
Planning Ahead
During the third trimester (7-9 months), identify the PMJAY empanelled hospital where you plan to deliver. Visit the hospital, meet the Ayushman Mitra, get your PM-JAY card verified in advance, and register for delivery. This avoids last-minute paperwork during labour. Use PMJAYHospitals.com to find hospitals with Obstetrics and Gynaecology empanelment in your district.
Disclaimer: PMJAYHospitals.com is an independent directory. For official PM-JAY information, visit pmjay.gov.in or call 14555.