Govt plans to invest Rs 100 crore per district to upgrade healthcare infra

The government will invest Rs 100 crore on an average on every district pan-India to upgrade healthcare infrastructure at the block level and provide improved diagnostics, treatment, surveillance and containment measures for future pandemics.

Union minister of health & family welfare (MoHFW) Mansukh Mandaviya said this was a part of the government’s Rs 64,180-crore PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM) to upgrade the country’s health infrastructure. Investments under the mission would be made between 2021-22 and 2025-26. The mission seeks to plug the gaps in healthcare infrastructure and address the regional imbalances in facilities.

As a part of the programme, 79,415 health and wellness centres have been set up across the country, and the figure would go up to 1,50,000 by next year. Addressing a press conference, Mandaviya said 134 different types of tests would be done for free at district-level facilities, which will not only save costs but also reduce inconvenience for the poor. Critical care hospitals will be set up in 602 districts.