Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, touted to be one of the country’s largest pan-India schemes, from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.
Addressing the event, Modi took the opportunity to congratulate India for achieving the milestone of administering one billion (100 crores) vaccine doses in the fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. He also extended greetings for upcoming festivals, including Diwali and Chhath.
The objective of this mission is to fill the gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said it will be in addition to the National Health Mission.
It will provide support for 17,788 rural Health and Wellness Centres in 10 high focus states. Further, 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centres will be established in all the states.
Critical care services will be available in all the districts of the country with more than 5 lakh population, through Exclusive Critical Care Hospital Blocks, while the remaining districts will be covered through referral services, PMO said in a release.
About the Mission
The Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission aims to fill gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas. It will provide support for 17,788 rural health and wellness centres in 10 high focus states, reported news agency PTI.
Through this, critical care services will be available in all the districts of the country with more than five lakh populations through exclusive critical care hospital blocks, while the remaining districts will be covered through referral services.
Under the scheme, a national institution for one health, four new national institutes for virology, a regional research platform for WHO South-East Asia Region, nine biosafety level-III laboratories, five new regional national centres for disease control will be set up.
