India Borrows 300 Million USD to Strengthen Primary Healthcare Services in Urban Areas of 13 States

The Government of India has recently signed a 300 million dollar loan with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen and improve access to primary healthcare in urban areas of 13 states benefiting over 256 million urban dwellers, including 51 million from slum areas, a statement said on Wednesday the loan agreement was signed on Tuesday the health ministry stated. 

Additional Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance Rajat Kumar Mishra who signed the Agreement on the behalf of the Government of India stated that the programme supports the Government of India’s key health initiatives by expanding availability and access to quality primary healthcare services particularly for vulnerable populations in urban areas. 

 Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, Takeo Konishi who signed the agreement on behalf of The Asian Development Bank also stated that “Ensuring equitable access to non-COVID-19 primary healthcare is critical amid challenges posed by the pandemic to India’s health system”. 

 It backs programmes such as Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) and the Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PM-ASBY), which has been renamed Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). 

The Ayushman Bharat programme, which began in 2018, intends to enhance access to comprehensive primary healthcare as part of India's efforts to achieve universal health coverage. 

 The government started PM-ASBY in October 2021 in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which put additional strain on the country's health system. The goal is to take a long-term strategy to system strengthening in order to prepare for future pandemics and other catastrophes. 

 The programme supports the government's efforts to close healthcare gaps by improving institutional capacity, operation, and administration of urban health and wellness centres at the federal, state, and local levels. 

Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and West Bengal will all be areas where this programme is implemented.