What is Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission? Everything you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi. Touted as “India’s largest scheme to scale-up health infrastructure,” PM Modi launched the mission to improve the public health infrastructure in both urban and rural areas. The mission is one of the largest pan-India schemes that will now work in addition to the National Health Mission.

PM Modi, who inaugurated nine medical colleges in UP on Monday, also announced the launch of the highly-anticipated health mission. The announcement was made in the presence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Anandiben Patel and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. Along with the health scheme, the PM also launched development projects worth Rs 5,200 crore for Varanasi, which is also his constituency.

What is Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission?

The Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission was earlier announced by PM Modi as an addition to the National Health Mission. The scheme is expected to provide support to 17,788 rural Health and Wellness Centres in 10 ‘high focus’ states and establish 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centres as it aims to strengthen the critical healthcare network across the country.

According to a press release by the Prime Minister’s Office, the mission’s objective is to “fill critical gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both the urban and rural areas.” Announcing the scheme, PM Modi said that, “We are working day and night to improve health facilities in the country” and claimed that the scheme will help in the same. According to the PM, more than 2 crore poor people got free treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojna and Many health-related issues are being solved through Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

More aspects of the health mission

According to PM Modi, the second aspect of the scheme is related to the testing network for the diagnosis of diseases. Under the mission, the necessary infrastructure will be developed for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases. 730 districts of the country will get Integrated Public Health labs and 3 thousand blocks will get Block Public Health Units. Apart from that, 5 Regional National Centers for Disease Control, 20 Metropolitan units, and 15 BSL labs will further strengthen this network.

Furthermore, the scheme will also look into the expansion of existing research institutions that study pandemics. Existing 80 Viral Diagnostic and research labs will be strengthened, 15 Biosafety level 15 labs will be operationalized, 4 new National institutes of Virology and a National Institute for One Health are being established. The scheme will also have a WHO regional research platform for South Asia to strengthen this network. “This means, through PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission an entire ecosystem for services from treatment to critical research will be created in every corner of the country”, said the Prime Minister while explaining the scheme.

Mission set to upscale digital healthcare services in India

Formulated on the grounds set in the form of Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile (JAM) trinity and other digital initiatives of the government, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will create a seamless online platform through the provision of a wide range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems while ensuring the security, confidentially and privacy of health-related personal information.

Health IDs for citizens to be linked with mobile app 

The mission will facilitate access and exchange of longitudinal health records of citizens with their consent. The pivotal elements of the Ayushman Bharat Mission include health ID for citizens that will also work as their health account, to which personal health records can be linked and viewed with the help of a mobile application. A health care Professionals Registry (HPR) and Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine.

Image: PTI/ ANI