The evening sun cast a warm glow over the small garden where Mrs. Ranju Barman watched her 8-year-old son hopping joyfully from stone to stone. His laughter echoed through the courtyard — a sound that once felt like a distant dream to her.
Just two years ago, Ranju’s life was filled not with laughter, but with fear and sleepless nights. Her son had been diagnosed with a serious heart disorder, and doctors said he needed an urgent operation. The cost of treatment was far beyond what her family could afford. For days, she felt lost, helpless, and unsure how to save her child.
“It felt like my whole world had stopped,” Ranju recalls. “I didn’t know how I could possibly get the money for the surgery. I was terrified of losing him.”
It was then that Nirmali Ray, the SeSTA’s Pragati Sakhi from her village, appeared like a ray of hope. Seeing Ranju’s distress, Nirmali patiently explained that the government offered health support through the Atal Amrit Abhiyan and Ayushman Bharat schemes. She guided Ranju step by step- from filling out forms to visiting the local health department- until both the Atal Amrit Card and Ayushman Card were issued in her name.
With these cards, Ranju’s son received cashless treatment at a reputed hospital. The surgery, which once seemed impossible, was done successfully- and the hospital costs, amounting to nearly ₹3.5 lakh, were fully covered under the scheme.
“Seeing him play and laugh again is a feeling I can’t describe,” Ranju shares, her eyes welling up. “These cards didn’t just pay for his surgery- they gave us our life back.” Today, as Ranju watches her son run freely in the garden, she feels nothing but gratitude.
