Modi inaugurated the first of the 1,53,000 health and wellness centres
Inaugurating the first health and wellness centre in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur, prime minister Narendra Modi kicked off the Union Government’s ambitious Health Assurance Programme – Ayushman Bharat.
The Centre was inaugurated at Jangla Development Hub. Ayushman Bharat has two components – a preventive component comprising 1,53000 health and wellness centres – and the National Health Protection Scheme under which 10.74 crore families will be given an annual health cover of Rs 5 lakh. NHPM is still in the planning stage.
In the course of over one hour, the Prime Minister interacted with a number of people, and was briefed on several development initiatives at the development hub.
At the inauguration of the Health and Wellness Centre, he interacted with ASHA workers. He visited a model Anganwadi Centre, and interacted with Anganwadi workers and beneficiary children of Poshan Abhiyan. He visited a Haat Bazaar Health Kiosk and interacted with health workers.
He said the next target of Ayushman Bharat would be to provide financial assistance of upto Rs. 5 lakh to the poor, for medical treatment
The Prime Minister in his speech said that the Ayushman Bharat scheme will go a long way in ending social imbalance, and ensuring social justice in the country. He said that in the first phase of this scheme, an effort would be made to bring about a sea change in primary healthcare. He said sub centres and primary health centres at 1.5 lakh places in the country would now be developed as Health and Wellness Centres – which would essentially act as family doctors for the poor.
“I want to explain the need for health and wellness centres. Our effort here is not just to treat diseases but to prevent disease from happening. There are large numbers of diabetes and hypertension patients in our country. These along with cardiovascular diseases are responsible for unfortunate death of 60% people. But there are diseases that can be prevented from getting serious if caught on time,” Modi said.
He said the next target of Ayushman Bharat would be to provide financial assistance of upto Rs. 5 lakh to the poor, for medical treatment.
