Lucknow, Nov 17 : Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the leading state in the country in issuing beneficiary cards under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. The state has so far issued more than 4,15,41,992 cards, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 3.70 crore cards. Chhattisgarh is in the third spot with 2.03 crore cards, followed by Karnataka in the fourth position with 1.51 crore cards, and Andhra Pradesh in the fifth position with 1.40 crore Ayushman cardholders. The CEO of the State Agency for Comprehensive Health and Integrated Services (SACHI), Sangeeta Singh, stated that the aim is to provide free and high-quality treatment to the poor people of the state. Intensive efforts are being made at the war-footing to create Ayushman cards for 100 per cent eligible beneficiaries in the state. Special campaigns are conducted across the state from time to time for this purpose. She further said that 70 per cent of the eligible families in the state have been issued Ayushman cards. The state government has conducted special campaigns to ensure 100 per cent card issuance for eligible beneficiaries. To avoid inconvenience in treatment, the government has connected 3,662 hospitals in the state with Ayushman cards, including 1,118 government hospitals and 2,544 private hospitals. The state has spent Rs 3,914 crore on treatment so far. Singh added that these hospitals have provided treatment to 2,762,262 beneficiaries, some of whom have undergone treatment two to three times. Among them, 437,290 beneficiaries have undergone surgeries for severe conditions such as kidney transplants, heart surgeries, heart diseases, joint replacements, and cancer treatments. The total expenditure on these treatments amounts to Rs 3,914 crore, including Rs 1,502 crore specifically allocated for the treatment of severe illnesses. /IANS