Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission

New Delhi: In the Budget speech of FY 21-22, ‘Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana’ (PMASBY) scheme which has now renamed PM – Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) was announced on 1st February, 2021, with an outlay of about Rs. 64,180 Cr over six years (till FY 25-26). The Scheme was approved by the Cabinet in its meeting held on 15th September, 2021.This scheme is in addition to the National Health Mission.

The measures under the scheme focus on developing capacities of health systems and institutions across the continuum of care at all levels viz. primary, secondary and tertiary and on preparing health systems in responding effectively to the current and future pandemics/disasters.

The Mission targets to build an IT enabled disease surveillance system by developing a network of surveillance laboratories at block, district, regional and national levels, in Metropolitan areas & strengthening health units at the Points of Entry, for effectively detecting, investigating, preventing, and combating Public Health Emergencies and Disease Outbreaks.

Increased investments are also targeted in the mission to support research on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, including biomedical research to generate evidence to inform short-term and medium-term response to COVID-19 like pandemics and to develop core capacity to deliver the One Health Approach to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks in animals and humans.

The National Health Mission is envisaged to establish a fully functional, community owned, decentralized health delivery system with inter-sectoral convergence at all levels. NHM aims to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care mainly focusing on primary and secondary care. However, PM-ABHIM is the largest pan-India scheme for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country which focuses on the primary, secondary and tertiary care services. The major aim of PM-ABHIM to establish a health system which is responding effectively to the future pandemics/disasters.

Under the Centrally sponsored scheme component, it is envisaged that Critical Care Hospitals will be established in 602 districts with an outlay of Rs 19064.80 Crores which includes Rs 11952.43 crore as Central share and Rs 7112.37 Crore as State Share. The component will be implemented with the help of State government within the period of five years i.e. 2025-26.

Under the scheme, there is a provision for setting up of Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHLs) in all 730 districts across the country (upto FY 2025-26) with the outlay of Rs 1482.60 Crore which includes Rs 990.40 Crore as Central Share and Rs 492.20 Crore as State Share.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.