PM Modi Launches Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY) on Monday in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (UP). This ₹64k crore worth health scheme has been launched to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in India at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

PMASBY to Strengthen the Public Health System

PM Narendra Modi has launched the new PMASBY scheme during his visit to Uttar Pradesh on 25 October 2021. This scheme will help to carry out the infrastructure, research and surveillance work in rural and urban areas of India. It will work in addition to the National Health Mission and is one of the largest healthcare schemes in the country, according to a note by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

The PMASBY scheme was first announced by the Centre during the Budget session in February this year with an outlay of around ₹64,180 crores over six years (till the financial year 2025-26). 

The objective of the PMASBY scheme is to prepare a system for responding effectively to current and future pandemics and disasters for both urban and rural areas. It also plans to set up 17,788  health and wellness centres in rural areas of 10 high-focus states along with 11,024 health and wellness centres in urban areas.

Moreover, with the help of exclusive critical care hospital blocks, critical healthcare services in all districts of India will be available with more than five lakh population while the referral services will cover the remaining districts. 

Besides, 4 new National Institutes for Virology, 9 Biosafety Level III laboratories, 5 new Regional National Centre for Disease Control, a new Regional Research Platform for WHO, and National Institute for One Health will also be set up under this scheme.

The focus is also to increase the availability of health professionals, work on balancing the distribution of medical college, and proper utilization of district hospitals.

PM Modi will also launch various development projects worth more than ₹5,200 crores for Varanasi.