Explainer | All You Need To Know About PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission

The Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the mission from his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

Its objective is to fill gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas. The scheme aims to make India ready to effectively manage any future pandemics and health emergencies.  

The Mission has been launched with an investment of Rs 64,000 crore. An average expenditure of Rs 90 to Rs 100 crore will be spent in a district.

Here’s the list of key projects to be set up under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.

1. A national institution for health.

2. Four new national institutes for virology.

3. A regional research platform for WHO South-East Asia Region.

4. Nine biosafety level-three laboratories.

5. Five new regional national centres for disease control.

6. It will provide support for 17,788 rural health and wellness centres in 10 high focus states.

7. 11,024 urban health and wellness centres to be established in all the states.

8. Critical care services to be available in all the districts of the country with more than five lakh population through exclusive critical care hospital blocks. The remaining districts will be covered through referral services.

9. Integrated public health labs in all 730 districts.

10. 15 round-the-clock health emergency operation centres to be started at state level along with critical care hospital blocks in 12 government hospitals to give comprehensive diagnostics and treatment facilities.

11. Two container-based mobile hospitals with all healthcare facilities will be established which could be rushed to any place in case of an emergency. These containers with a capacity of about 100 beds each will be placed in Delhi and Chennai and can be airlifted or taken by trains to the place of emergency.

12. 134 types of tests will be done free of cost at the district level.