Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).

 Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)

Prime Minister recently launched the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, one of India's largest pan-India programs to strengthen health care infrastructure, in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.

About: Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is one of the largest pan-India programs to strengthen health care infrastructure across the country.

It will provide assistance to 17,788 Rural Health Centres in 10 ‘highly focused’ provinces and establish 11,024 Urban Health and Health Centres across the country.

In this regard, critical care services will be available in all regions of the country with more than five lakh people in blocks of intensive care units, and the remaining districts will be covered with referral assistance.

Under this program, one national health centre, four new national virology centres, the WHO (World Health Organization) South East Asia Region regional research forum, nine biosafety level-III laboratories, and five new regional disease control centres will be set.

Key-features: Free diagnostics at district level: Under PMASBY, 134 different types of testing will be done free at district level, which will not only save costs but also reduce unnecessary inconvenience to poor people.

Mobile Hospitals: For the first time in Asia, two container-based hospitals with complete medical facilities will be maintained at all times under PMASBY. One mobile unit will have 22 containers with 100 beds each.

The mobile hospitals will be set up in New Delhi and Chennai. These hospitals can be quickly assembled by train or air to respond to any disaster or disaster in the country.

Strengthening NCDC: The existing National Centres for Disease Control (NCDC), which has the mandate to stop outbreaks, will be strengthened under PMASBY by adding three new phases.

This will be the Climate Change Unit, the Occupational Health Unit, and the Disaster Management Unit. Five branches of the NCDC region - one north, south, east, west, and central - will be established. General diagnostic services will also be improved.

Key Components of the scheme: Comprehensive surveillance of infectious diseases: Under this, health and wellness centres will be opened in towns and cities, where early diagnostic services will be provided. Free services such as free consultation, testing, and medication will be available at these facilities.

Comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities: This will include the development of diagnostic infrastructure. All 730 national districts will have access to integrated public health labs and 3,000 blocks will have access to public health facilities. In addition, five disease control centres, 20 metropolitan units, and 15 BSL labs will strengthen the network.

Extensive epidemic research: 80 existing virus diagnostic and research laboratories will be strengthened, with the establishment of new National Virology Centres (NIVs) and the National Institute for One Health.