PMJAY for Children — Complete Paediatric Healthcare Guide
Children from PM-JAY eligible families have access to a wide range of paediatric medical and surgical treatments completely free of charge. From neonatal intensive care for newborns to childhood cancer treatment and congenital defect repair, PM-JAY covers it all.
Paediatric Treatments Covered
Neonatal Care (NICU): Intensive care for premature babies, low birth weight infants, and newborns with breathing difficulties, jaundice, or infections. NICU stays can extend to weeks for very premature babies — all covered under PM-JAY.
Childhood Cancer: PM-JAY has a dedicated specialty for paediatric cancer (code NA). Covers chemotherapy for childhood leukaemia (ALL, AML), brain tumours, neuroblastoma, Wilms tumour, retinoblastoma, and lymphoma. Multiple cycles of chemotherapy are covered as separate claims.
Congenital Defect Repair: Surgical correction of birth defects including congenital heart defects (ASD, VSD, TOF), cleft lip and palate, hypospadias, undescended testis, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and intestinal atresia.
Cleft Lip and Palate: Surgical repair is covered under Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Cleft lip repair is typically done at 3-6 months, palate repair at 9-12 months. Multiple surgeries may be needed — each is covered.
Paediatric Surgery: Hernia repair, appendectomy, pyloric stenosis surgery, intussusception treatment, and other common surgical conditions in children.
General Paediatric Medicine: Hospitalisation for severe childhood infections — pneumonia, meningitis, dengue, typhoid, complicated malaria, and acute diarrhoea with dehydration. Also covers childhood asthma exacerbations requiring admission.
Key Points for Parents
Coverage under family card: Children do not need a separate PM-JAY card. They are covered under the family card. Carry the parent’s Ayushman Bharat card and the child’s Aadhaar card (or birth certificate if Aadhaar is not yet made).
No age limit: From a newborn baby on day one to a 17-year-old — all children in eligible families are covered.
Referral for specialised care: Many paediatric conditions require specialised hospitals. If your local hospital cannot treat your child’s condition, ask for a referral to a higher centre. PM-JAY’s portability feature allows treatment at any empanelled hospital across India. Major paediatric centres like AIIMS, Tata Memorial (for cancer), and state children’s hospitals are empanelled.
Find paediatric hospitals: Search PMJAYHospitals.com for hospitals empanelled under Paediatric Medical Management, Paediatric Surgery, or Paediatric Cancer in your district.
Disclaimer: PMJAYHospitals.com is an independent directory. For official PM-JAY information, visit pmjay.gov.in or call 14555.