With Ayushman Bhav Campaign, Health Ministry Aims To Provide Healthcare Services To ‘Maximum Number Of People Possible’

Relevance: GS2 - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

(Source: The Hindu, 09/12/2023)

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Why in the news?

• Recently, the Union Health Ministry announced that the Ayushman Bhav campaign will be inaugurated by the President of India on 13th September 2023.
• The campaign will be implemented during the 'Seva Pakhwada' (September 17th to October 2nd, 2023) which adopts a whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach.

What is the Ayushman Bhav campaign?

• The Ayushman Bhav campaign is a comprehensive nationwide healthcare initiative that aims to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services by covering every village and town in the country and ensuring that no one is left behind.
• It aims to build upon the success of the Ayushman Bharat program.

Components

• The Ayushman Bhav campaign is an umbrella initiative with three components.
• Ayushman - Apke Dwar 3.0:
• It aims to provide Ayushman cards to the remaining eligible beneficiaries who have been enrolled under the PM-JAY scheme.
• This will help improve access to essential health services in the country.
• Ayushman Melas:
  • It will facilitate the creation of ABHA IDs (Health IDs) and the issuance of Ayushman Bharat Cards.
  • The Melas will be conducted at Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs).
  • They will offer early diagnosis, comprehensive primary health care services, teleconsultation with specialists, and appropriate referrals.
• Ayushman Sabhas:
  • It consists of gatherings or Sabhas in every village and Panchayat to distribute Ayushman cards and generate ABHA IDs.
  • It will also help raise awareness about the government’s health schemes and diseases such as non-communicable diseases like tuberculosis, and sickle cell disease, and blood donation and organ donation drives.

Implementation

• The Campaign has been initiated by the Union Ministry of Health.
• It will be implemented as a collaborative effort spearheaded by gram panchayats who will coordinate with the respective government departments including the Department of Health, and urban and rural local elected bodies.
• It unites government sectors, civil society organizations, and communities under a common mission of ensuring that everyone receives essential health services without any disparity or exclusion.
• The campaign envisions the creation of 'Healthy Villages' and 'Healthy Gram Panchayats’ which will contribute towards achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage.
• Panchayats that are successful in ensuring that all citizens are covered under health schemes will be recognized as 'Ayushman Gram Panchayat' or 'Ayushman Urban Ward,' and awarded.

Sewa Pakhwada

• The Sewa Pakhwada or service fortnight will extend from September 17th to October 2nd.
• An online organ donation campaign will be organized and at least one blood donation camp will be organized by blood banks to ensure the smooth availability of blood and its components.
• Cleanliness drives will also be undertaken at public health facilities at primary, secondary, and tertiary health care levels supported by civilians and gram panchayat members.
• States and UTs have been directed to organize health melas in the health and wellness centers every year and hold a health camp conducted by medical colleges at the block level.
  • This was to ensure that patients getting screened at the health melas can access timely treatment at the health melas.

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: With reference to Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements:

1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.
2. As it aims to achieve universal health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.
3. It has seamless portability across the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3