PM Modi launches Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission from Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission from his parliamentary constituency Varanasi. Addressing the crowd at the ceremony, PM Modi noted that the campaign of "Sabko vaccine, muft vaccine" was going ahead successfully. India had officially crossed the 1 billion vaccinations milestone on October 22.

"In its fight against Corona pandemic, the nation has achieved a major milestone of administering 100 cr vaccine doses. With blessings of Baba Vishwanath, Maa Ganga & trust of people of Kashi, the campaign of 'Sabko vaccine, muft vaccine' is going ahead successfully," said PM Modi.

The Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is the largest pan-India scheme for strengthening healthcare infrastructure, according to the Prime Minister's Office. The scheme will operate in addition to the National Health Mission.

The objective of the scheme is to fill critical gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care, in both urban and rural areas.

The Prime Minister said that under this scheme, the infrastructure required to check and monitor diseases would be developed. "The health scheme will also augment screening of diseases. The Ayushman Bharat Scheme has also provided free treatment to more than 2 crore poor people in hospitals," PM Modi added.

Under this scheme, the government will provide support for 17,788 rural health and wellness centres in 10 high focus states. Further, 11,024 urban health and wellness centres will be established in all the states under the scheme.

At the ceremony, PM Modi took at dig the at the Indian National Congress without naming the party, saying that those who had previously governed the country kept the healthcare system devoid of facilities.

"For a long time after Independence, not much attention was paid to health and healthcare facilities. People who governed the nation for a long time, kept the healthcare system devoid of facilities instead of facilitating its development," the Prime Minister said.

"Villages either didn't have hospitals or no doctors in those hospitals. Block hospitals didn't have testing facilities. If test reports came in, there was doubt on its results. District-level hospitals didn't have facilities for conducting surgeries," PM Modi conveyed.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi had inaugurated nine medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh from Siddharthnagar. The nine medical colleges are situated in the districts of Siddharthnagar, Etah, Hardoi, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Deoria, Ghazipur, Mirzapur, and Jaunpur.

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