Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana: PM to Launch Rs 64k-cr Health Infra Scheme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY), worth Rs 64,180 crore, today to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure across states. As per the statement by the PIB, the PM will inaugurate the project from Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, during a visit to poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. 

Apart from this, he will also inaugurate 9 new Medical Colleges at Siddharth Nagar, as per the bureau report.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh on 25th October 2021 at around 1.15 in Varanasi, the Prime Minister will launch PMASBY. It will be one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country. It will be in addition to the National Health Mission,” as per a note by the Press Information Bureau

“Modi will also inaugurate various development projects worth more than ₹5,200 crores for Varanasi,” it added.

About the Scheme: 

The PMASBY scheme, worth Rs 64,180 crore over six years (till the financial year 2025-26) was announced by the Centre during the Budget session in February 2021. This scheme will be in addition to the National Health Mission.

This scheme primarily focuses on building capacities of healthcare systems & institutions at all levels- primary, secondary & tertiary and on strengthening health care systems for responding more effectively to the current and future pandemics, and disasters.

Government support will be given to 17,788 rural health and wellness centers in 10 high-focus states. Under the scheme, at least 11,024 urban health and wellness centers will be set up.

Moreover, critical care services will be made available in all districts with more than 500,000 populations, through exclusive critical care hospital blocks, while the remaining districts will be covered through referral services.

Experts believe it’s time to strengthen and rejuvenate the medical infrastructure at the ground level.

“Under PMASBY, a National Institution for One Health, 4 New National Institutes for Virology, a Regional Research Platform for WHO southeast Asia Region, 9 Biosafety Level III laboratories, 5 New Regional National Centre for Disease Control will be set up. PMASBY 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. Integrated Health Information Portal will be expanded to all States/UTs to connect all public health labs,” the statement added.