LUCKNOW, Sept. 30 -- Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak on Monday said Uttar Pradesh was leading the nation in the rollout of Ayushman cards. "Out of approximately 9 crore targeted beneficiaries in the state, Ayushman cards have been issued to 5.38 crore so far, and 87% of eligible families have at least one member with a card," Pathak said while addressing a ceremony held at the Atal Bihari Scientific Convention Center to mark the completion of seven years of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). "Over 74.40 lakh have availed free treatment in empanelled hospitals in the state so far, with an expenditure of approximately Rs 12,283 crore. To ensure the availability of quality healthcare services, the state has empanelled 6,099 hospitals (2,949 government and 2,966 private), the highest in the country," said Pathak. Principal secretary (medical health) Amit Ghosh, chief executive officer of SACHIS Archana Verma, UP mission director of National Health Mission Dr. Pinky Jowell, and vice-chancellor of King George's Medical University (KGMU) Prof Sonia Nityanand were present. The SACHIS CEO elaborated on the agency's achievements and the effective implementation of the scheme in Uttar Pradesh. The deputy CM also launched several digital initiatives, including the Ayushman e-comic book, Ayushman Sampark, Ayushman Sarathi app, and Ayushman Chatbot....