New Delhi, Oct 24 – India’s new health‑infrastructure push, called the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM‑ABHIM), has tightened the country’s pandemic defenses over the past four years, officials said Friday.
Launched on 25 October 2021 amid the global Covid wave, PM‑ABHIM has spent 64,180 crore rupees (about US$8.5 billion) to fill gaps in hospitals, labs and data systems. The money aims to build a stronger, faster‑responding health service that can tackle future crises.
“Four years in, the mission has upgraded every level of care – from village clinics to big district hospitals – and made our surveillance system real‑time and nationwide,” say government spokespersons. “We’re now ready to spot and stop outbreaks in a flash.”
Key parts of the plan include:
- Building‑less sub‑health centres – 17,788 sites that will become Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs), boosting primary care in rural and underserved areas.
- Urban AAMs – 11,024 new clinics in slums and neglected city zones, called U‑AAMs.
- Block public health units – 3,382 units that give local health teams more authority and resources.
- Integrated public health laboratories – 730 labs, one per district, to speed up diagnostics and sharing of viral samples.
- Critical care blocks – 602 new units in districts with more than 500,000 people, expanding intensive‑care capacity.
The government has already cleared 32,928.82 crore rupees in funding for these projects, covering 9,519 AAMs, 5,456 U‑AAMs, 2,151 BPHUs, 744 IPHLs and 621 CCBs.
PM‑ABHIM also pushes “One Health” research, recognizing that the health of people, animals and the environment are connected. The mission supports studies on Covid‑19 and other infectious diseases to improve future responses.
The result, officials say, is a more resilient, decentralized health network that can deliver quicker, higher‑quality care across India.
— Government press release read by Reuters/AP‑style style, aimed at a broad audience.
Source: ianslive
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