Steps taken to achieve universal health coverage
The National Health Policy formulated in 2017 envisages to provide universal access to good quality health care services through increasing access, increasing affordability by lowering the cost of healthcare delivery and equity. The policy envisages as its goal the attainment of the highest possible level of health and well-being for all at all ages, through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies, and universal access to good quality health care services without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence. The Policy is centered on the key principles of Equity; Affordability; Universality; Patient Centeredness & Quality of care; accountability, Inclusive partnerships; Pluralism and decentralization.
Public Health and Hospitals is under the State List. The Central Govt. has taken several initiatives for supplementing the efforts of the State for providing quality and affordable healthcare services to the people.
Under National Health Mission, the Government has taken many steps towards universal health coverage, by supporting the State Government in providing accessible & affordable healthcare to people. It encompasses the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) as its two Sub-Missions. Under the National Health Mission, financial and technical support is provided to States/UTs to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare, especially to the poor and vulnerable sections of the population, in both urban and rural areas. The National Health Mission provides support for improvement in health infrastructure, availability of adequate human resources to man health facilities, to improve availability and accessibility to quality health care especially for the underserved and marginalized groups in rural areas.
Government has launched four mission mode projects, namely PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres (ABHWCs), Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PMJAY) and National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).
PM-ABHIM was launched as a mission to develop the capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care health systems, strengthen existing national institutions, and create new institutions, to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. The PM-ABHIM is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with some Central Sector Components, for implementation of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Package for health sector with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore.
Under Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs), Comprehensive Primary healthcare by strengthening Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) are to be facilitated. The HWCs are to provide preventive, promotive, rehabilitative and curative care for an expanded range of services encompassing Reproductive and child care services, Communicable diseases, Non-communicable diseases, Palliative care and elderly care, Care for common mental disorders, neurological conditions (epilepsy, dementia) and substance use disorders management (tobacco, alcohol, drugs), Oral health, ENT care, and Basic emergency care.
To every citizen to get health card; a Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has been announced on 27th September, 2021 with aim to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country. The objective of the mission is to bridge the existing gap amongst different stakeholders of Healthcare ecosystem through digital highways.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharti Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
