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Picture Courtesy: https://www.bizzbuzz.news/opinion/pm-abhim-can-boost-affordable-health-infrastructure-in-hospitals-1207866

Context:

Delhi High Court directs MoU between Union Health Ministry and Delhi Govt for implementing PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) in Delhi.

About PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)

It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure across India.

It has an outlay of Rs. 64,180 Crores for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26.

The scheme focuses on improving health systems, developing capacities at all levels of care, and preparing for future pandemics and disasters.

What are the key objectives of PM-ABHIM?

The objective of PM-ABHIM is to fill critical gaps in health infrastructure, surveillance, and health research in both urban and rural areas.

It aims to strengthen health systems, improve response mechanisms for future health crises, and provide better healthcare services across the country.

The key components include:

Setting up 12 central institutions as training and mentoring sites with 150-bed Critical Care Hospital Blocks (CCBs).
Strengthening the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and creating 5 new Regional NCDCs along with 20 metropolitan health surveillance units.
Expanding the Integrated Health Information Portal to all States/UTs.
Operationalizing 17 new Public Health Units and strengthening 33 existing ones at Points of Entry (airports, seaports, and land crossings).
Establishing 15 Health Emergency Operation Centres and 2 mobile hospitals.
Setting up a national institution for One Health, 4 new National Institutes for Virology, and 9 Biosafety Level III laboratories.

The scheme provides support for:

Construction of 17,788 rural Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) in areas with populations of 5,000 or more (plain areas) and 3,000 or more (difficult areas).
Establishment of 11,024 urban HWCs in all states, focusing on slum-like areas.
Creation of 3,382 Block Public Health Units (BPHUs) at the block level.
Setting up Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHLs) in 730 districts.
To establish Critical Care Hospital Blocks (CCBs) in 602 districts, with referral linkages in other districts.