What is PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM)?

Earlier known as Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY), PMABHIM was announced as a long term health infrastructure development scheme in the Union Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of ₹4,810 crore over five years. The total outlay for the current year 2021-22 is ₹9155.97 crore while it is ₹10,465.09 crore for the next year. The scheme received Union Cabinet's approval in September 2021.

The PMABHIM consists of mostly centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) and some central schemes (CS). While CSS scheme will have some element of state government funding, CS is 100% centrally funded.

The key elements of the CSS components are:

1. Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) in rural areas: Support for infrastructure development for 17788 Sub-Health Centres is proposed in seven High Focus States (Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal) and three North Eastern States (Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya)

2. Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) in Urban areas: Support for 11044 Urban Health & Wellness Centres across the country is proposed under this component.

3. Block Public Health Units (BPHUs): Support for 3382 BPHUs in 11 High Focus States/ UTs (Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, UT - Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand), is proposed under this component.

4. Integrated District Public Health Laboratories in all districts.

5. Critical Care Hospital Blocks in all districts with a population more than five lakhs, in state government medical colleges / District Hospitals.

The PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission has the following Central Sector components:

1. Critical Care Hospital Blocks in 12 Central Institutions.

2. Strengthening surveillance of infectious diseases and outbreak response. Support for 20 Metropolitan Surveillance Units, five Regional NCDCs (National Centre for Disease Control) and implementation of integrated health information platform (IHIP) in all states.

3. Strengthening surveillance capacities at Points of Entry. Support for 17 new Points of Entry Health Units and Strengthening of 33 existing Units.

4. Strengthening Disaster and Epidemic Preparedness. Support for 15 Health Emergency Operation Centres & two Container-based mobile hospitals.

5. Bio-security preparedness and strengthening Pandemic Research and Multi Sector, National Institutions and Platforms for One Health. Support for setting up of a National Institution for One Health, a Regional Research Platform for WHO South-East Asia Region, nine Bio-Safety Level III Laboratories and four new Regional National Institutes of Virology (NIVs).