Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: The city’s primary healthcare infrastructure is set to expand with the establishment of 1,139 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM), alongside 9 critical care blocks and 11 integrated public health laboratories under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
PM-ABHIM, introduced on Oct 25, 2021, operates as a centrally sponsored scheme. This nationwide programme aims to fortify the existing public health framework. The primary objective is to improve healthcare establishments across the country, ensuring they are well-equipped to address future health crises and disease outbreaks effectively.
The MoU for the project, costing Rs 2,406 crore, was signed between the Delhi and Union govts on Thursday to coincide with the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). During the event, PM-JAY cards were symbolically distributed to 30 beneficiaries.
The chosen beneficiaries represented various social and economic segments of the Union territory’s population. Eligible Delhi residents can now obtain their Ayushman cards. The scheme provides Rs 5 lakh annual health insurance per family through PMJAY, with Delhi govt offering an additional Rs 5 lakh coverage, totalling Rs 10 lakh as yearly insurance.
Officials said that the Ayush Arogya Mandirs will offer 12 comprehensive service packages, encompassing mother and child care, vaccination, mental health services, elderly care and communicable disease treatment.
The integrated public health laboratories will provide in-house testing facilities, while the critical care blocks will strengthen ICU and OT capabilities in major hospitals and medical colleges.
Health officials said that the first integrated public health laboratory, part of a planned network of 11 facilities, will be set up at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur. Officials also confirmed Indira Gandhi Hospital, Dwarka, as the location for another laboratory, while the selection process for other sites continues to be under consideration by the administration.
A tentative list comprising 80 healthcare facilities under Delhi govt has been drafted for elevation to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, pending clearance from authorities. The majority of these establishments consist of existing mohalla clinics or Delhi govt dispensaries, which are slated for transformation into AAM.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta said: “Health has always been a priority for Union govt. Besides improving health infrastructure and making quality and affordable medicines accessible to the masses, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has always emphasised nutrition, yoga, meditation, etc., which shows the emphasis being given to the health sector.”
Mayank Rawat
