Odisha MPs keen to have Ayushman Bharat Scheme in state: Mandaviya

BHUBANESHWAR: Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has claimed that Odisha MPs are keen to get the Ayushman Bharat health scheme implemented in the state.

Mandaviya here inaugurated the Annex Building and laid the foundation stone for ICMR School of Public Health & BSL III Laboratory at ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar, on Saturday.

Speaking with the reporters on the sidelines of the event, Mandaviya said, "Odisha MPs have requested that GoI's Ayushman Bharat health scheme should be implemented in the state. I have written to the Odisha govt to implement this scheme in the state."

"The new facilities will further empower the institute, strengthen its research capabilities and also help it in contributing more effectively towards identifying regional health problems and evaluating & implementing Government health programmes & policies," tweeted Mandaviya.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on December 30 informed India has surpassed 150,000 operational Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) before December 31.

Congratulating the nation on this achievement, the Union Health minister tweeted, "PM Narendra Modi had set a target of starting 1.5 lakh AB-HWCs in the country by December 2022. I am happy to inform you that today we have achieved this target. These centres will definitely strengthen the primary health care of the citizens."

Ayushman Bharat wellness centres aim to provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), by expanding and strengthening the existing Reproductive & Child Health (RCH) and Communicable Diseases services and by including services related to Non-Communicable Diseases (common NCDs such as Hypertension, Diabetes and three common cancers of Oral, Breast and Cervix) and incrementally adding primary healthcare services for mental health, ENT, Ophthalmology, Oral health, Geriatric and Palliative care and Trauma care as well as health promotion and wellness activities like yoga.