The scheme has received an allocation of just Rs 1200 crore
That India will have 1,53,000 health and wellness centres to strengthen the prevention arm of Ayushman Bharat has been repeated many times since the Union Budget in February.
Interestingly there is hardly any blueprint for that massive number. In fact the Union health ministry is currently working on a target of just 40,000 centres, that too by 2022. Health and wellness centres have been planned as comprehensive primary care centres that will deal with screening for communicable diseases, geriatric care etc over and above the original primary health focus of mother and child care.
The HWC rollout timeline that the Centre is currently working on envisages 15000 centres till 2018-19, 25000 till 2019-20, 30,000 till 2020-21, and 40,000 by 2022.
Notwithstanding the promise though, just Rs 1200 crore has been allocated for the plan
Health and wellness centres will provide comprehensive maternal health care services, neonatal and infant health care services, childhood and adolescent health care, contraceptive services, reproductive health care, management of communicable diseases, screening and comprehensive management of non-communicable diseases, basic ophthalmic care services, basic ENT care, screening and basic management of mental health ailments, basic dental health and geriatric health care.
In his Budget speech Jaitley had said: “Madam Speaker, these two far-reaching initiatives (National Health Protection Scheme and 1,53000 health and wellness centres) under the Ayushman Bharat will build a New India 2022 and ensure enhanced productivity, well being and avert wage loss and impoverishment. These Schemes will also generate lakhs of jobs, particularly for women. The Government is steadily but surely progressing towards the goal of Universal Health Coverage.”
Notwithstanding the promise though, just Rs 1200 crore has been allocated for the plan.
