**Executive Summary:**
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare addresses the strengthening of public healthcare facilities in India. Key initiatives include the National Health Mission (NHM), establishment of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs), Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM), Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) extension, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). A total of 1,77,906 AAMs have been established and operationalized as of June 30, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **National Health Mission (NHM):**
* Aims for universal access to equitable, affordable, and quality healthcare.
* Includes National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
* Focuses on Health System Strengthening, Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCHA), and control of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.
* **Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs):**
* Targeted establishment of 1,50,000 AAMs by December 2022; 1,77,906 established and operationalized as of June 30, 2025.
* Transforms existing Sub-Health Centres (SHC) and Primary Health Centres (PHC).
* Delivers comprehensive primary healthcare services, including preventive, promotive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative services, free and close to the community.
* **Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM):**
* Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Central Sector Components, with an outlay of Rs. 64,180 Crores for the scheme period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
* Focuses on developing capacities of health systems and institutions at all levels.
* Administrative approvals of Rs. 33,081.82 Crore for FY 2021-26 include construction/strengthening of Building-less AAMs, Urban AAMs, Block Public Health Units (BPHUs), Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHLs), and Critical Care Blocks (CCBs).
* **Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY):**
* Provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to 12 crore economically vulnerable families.
* Extended on October 29, 2024, to cover 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 years and above through Vay Vandana Card.
* **Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM):**
* Launched in September 2021 to create an online platform for health data interoperability.
* Aims to create an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for every citizen.
* Core components include Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), Health Professional Registry (HPR), Health Facility Registry (HFR), and ABHA Application.
* **Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY):**
* Aims to correct regional imbalances in tertiary healthcare and augment quality medical education.
* Involves setting up All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and upgrading existing Government Medical Colleges/Institutions (GMCIs).
* Approval for setting up 22 new AIIMS and 75 projects for upgrading GMCIs.
* **Increase in Medical Education:**
* Increase in Medical Colleges from 387 to 780 since 2014.
* Increase in UG seats from 51,348 to 1,15,900 since 2014.
* Increase in PG seats from 31,185 to 74,306 since 2014.
**Impact Analysis:**
* **Citizens:**
* *Impact:* Increased access to affordable and quality healthcare services, including primary, secondary, and tertiary care. Digital health records and improved infrastructure enhance healthcare delivery.
* *Action Required:* Utilize available schemes like ABPMJAY and ABDM, and access services at established AAMs and upgraded facilities.
* **Healthcare Providers:**
* *Impact:* Opportunities to participate in digital health initiatives, deliver comprehensive primary healthcare services through AAMs, and contribute to improved healthcare infrastructure.
* *Action Required:* Register on Health Professional Registry (HPR), utilize the ABDM platform, and participate in the delivery of services at AAMs.
* **State/UT Governments:**
* *Impact:* Financial assistance for strengthening healthcare infrastructure, establishing AAMs, and implementing national health programs.
* *Action Required:* Utilize allocated funds effectively, ensure timely implementation of schemes, and report progress on AAM portal.
* **Health Facilities (SHCs, PHCs, GMCIs, etc.):**
* *Impact:* Upgradation of infrastructure, access to funding for improvements, and integration into digital health ecosystem.
* *Action Required:* Transform into AAMs, register on Health Facility Registry (HFR), and implement digital health solutions.
Key Entities Referenced
National Health Mission NHM: A Government of India initiative aiming for universal access to equitable, affordable, quality healthcare services.
National Rural Health Mission NRHM: A sub-mission under the National Health Mission focusing on strengthening healthcare in rural areas.
National Urban Health Mission NUHM: A sub-mission under the National Health Mission focusing on strengthening healthcare in urban areas.
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs AAMs: Also known as Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB HWCs). These are transformed Sub-Health Centres (SHC) and Primary Health Centres (PHC) delivering comprehensive primary healthcare services.
Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission PMABHIM: A centrally sponsored scheme focused on developing capacities of health systems and institutions at all levels of care.
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana ABPMJAY: A flagship scheme providing health cover for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to economically vulnerable families.
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission ABDM: Aims to create an online platform for interoperability of health data and Electronic Health Records (EHR) for citizens.
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana PMSSY: Aims to correct regional imbalances in the availability of affordable tertiary healthcare services and augment facilities for quality medical education.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3275
TO BE ANSWERED ON08.08.2025
STRENGTHENING OFPUBLIC HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
†3275.SHRICHHOTELAL:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has launched any new scheme to strengthen the public healthcare
system in the country and to provide accessible and affordable health services to all the citizens;
and
(b) if so, the progress made thereinso far andthe improvementslikelytobe made innearfuture?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND
FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) & (b): The National Health Mission (NHM) envisages achievement of universal access to
equitable, affordable & quality health care services that are accountable and responsive to
people’s needs. NHM encompasses its two Sub-Missions, the National Rural Health Mission
(NRHM) and the National Urban HealthMission (NUHM). The mainprogrammatic components
include HealthSystem Strengtheninginrural andurbanareas, Reproductive-Maternal- Neonatal-
Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A), Health Systems Strengthening and Communicable
andNon-Communicable Diseases.
In February 2018, the Government of India announced establishment of 1,50,000 Ayushman
Arogya Mandirs (AAMs), erstwhile Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-
HWCs), across the country by December 2022. As updated by the States/UTs in AAM portal, a
total of 1,77,906 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established and operationalized as on30.06.2025, by transforming existing Sub-Health Centres (SHC) and Primary Health Centres
(PHC) in rural and urban areas to deliver the expanded range of comprehensive primary
healthcare services with complete 12 package of services that includes preventive, promotive,
curative, palliative and rehabilitative services which are universal, free, and closer to the
community.
Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) is a
Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) with some Central Sector Components (CS) which has an
outlayof Rs. 64,180 Crores for the scheme period (2021-22 to2025-26). The measures underthe
PM-ABHIM focus on developing capacities of health systems and institutions across the
continuum of care at all levels, primary, secondary and tertiary, to prepare health systems in
responding effectively to the current and future pandemics/disasters. Administrative approvals
have been accorded to States/UTs for FY 2021-26 for an amount of Rs. 33,081.82 Crore for
construction/strengthening of 10609 Building less-AAMs, 5456 Urban-AAMs, 2151 Block
Public Health Units (BPHUs), 744 Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHLs) at District level and
621Critical Care Blocks(CCBs).
Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is a flagship scheme
of the Government which provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary
andtertiary care hospitalization to12 crore families constituting economicallyvulnerable bottom
40% of India’s population. On 29.10.2024, the scheme was further extended to cover 6 crore
senior citizens aged 70 years and above, representing 4.5 crore families, through Vay Vandana
Card, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched various digital initiatives. One of the major
initiativesisAyushman BharatDigital Mission (ABDM),launchedinSeptember2021.ABDM
aims to create an online platform enabling interoperability of health data within the health
ecosystem. The aim of this mission is to create an Electronic Health Record (EHR) of every
citizen. ABDM envisages to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital
health infrastructure of the country. The core components of the Mission include Ayushman
Bharat Health Account (ABHA) for citizens, Health Professional Registry (HPR), Health
Facility Registry (HFR)and ABHAApplication. The digital healthecosystem created byABDM
supports continuity of care across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare in a seamless
manner.The Pradhan MantriSwasthyaSurkshaYojana(PMSSY) aimstocorrectregionalimbalances
in the availability of affordable tertiary healthcare services and to augment facilities for quality
medical education in the country. The scheme has two components, namely, (i) setting up of All
India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS), (ii) Upgradation of existing Government Medical
Colleges/Institutions (GMCIs). So far, setting up of 22 new AIIMS and 75 projects of
upgradationof GMCIs have beenapprovedunderthe scheme invariousphases.
The government has increased number of Medical Colleges, Under Graduate(UG) and Post
Graduate(PG) seats. There is an increase in Medical Colleges from 387 to 780; UG seats from
51,348to1,15,900andPGseats from 31,185to74,306from 2014toasondate.
***