PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission: Transforming Healthcare in India
The PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 25, 2021, stands as India’s most extensive effort to bolster its healthcare infrastructure. As a pivotal component of the Ayushman Bharat initiative, this mission is designed to usher in universal access to healthcare services that are not only equitable but also of the highest quality, catering to the diverse needs of the population.
This visionary mission sets out to address three critical gaps within India’s public health sector:
- Augmenting Health Facilities for Effective Treatment: The first focus area of the mission entails the establishment of comprehensive facilities for early disease detection and prompt treatment. This includes the support of 17,788 rural health and wellness centers and 11,024 urban health and wellness centers. These centers will offer essential medical consultations, diagnostic tests, and medicines at no cost. Furthermore, to address critical illnesses, an impressive 35,000 new critical care beds are being introduced across 600 districts, along with referral facilities in 125 districts.
- Setting Up Integrated Public Health Labs and Elaborate Testing Networks: The second facet of the scheme involves the strengthening of disease diagnosis through an expanded testing network. Integrated Public Health labs will be established in 730 districts, while Block Public Health Units will be set up in 3,000 blocks nationwide. Additionally, 5 Regional Centers for Disease Control, 20 Metropolitan units, and 15 Biosafety level labs will further bolster the testing infrastructure.
- Expansion of Research Institutions Studying Pandemics: Given the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the third aspect of the mission takes on particular importance. It focuses on expanding existing research institutions that specialize in pandemic studies. To achieve this, the existing 80 Viral Diagnostic and research labs will be reinforced. Five new Biosafety level labs will be operationalized. Moreover, the establishment of 4 new National Institutes of Virology and a National Institute for One Health is on the agenda. Collaborations with the World Health Organization (WHO) regional research platform for South Asia will fortify this network.
In addition to these core objectives, the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission aims to enhance the availability of healthcare professionals, rectify the geographical disparity in medical college distribution, and maximize the use of district hospital infrastructure. To achieve these goals, approximately 157 new medical colleges are under construction across the nation, with 63 of them already operational. Notably, Prime Minister Modi recently inaugurated nine medical colleges during a visit to Uttar Pradesh.
This mission is a significant stride toward a healthier India, aiming to provide affordable healthcare to marginalized segments of society. It addresses longstanding needs in the healthcare sector, working diligently to bridge critical infrastructure gaps. In essence, the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission seeks to create a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem, covering everything from treatment to cutting-edge research in every corner of the country. In alignment with the spirit of Aatm Nirbhar Bharat, it strives for holistic healthcare by delivering accessible and affordable health infrastructure to all.