Salut! Bharat Sarkar has made the decision to rebrand the existing HWC under Ayushman Bharat as ‘Ayushman Arogya Mandir’.
The goal is to transition healthcare from a concentration on sickness to well-being. The rebranding, in line with the phrase ‘Arogyam Parmam Dhanam,’ is a strategic move aimed at improving the country’s basic healthcare system.
HWC to Ayushman Arogya Mandir: Discovering the Depths
HWC has a rich and significant history, let us go into it in detail. The National Health Policy was initiated in 2017, following the suggestions put out by the Task Force for Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC).
The endorsement was given for the creation of Ayushman Bharat – Health & Wellness Centres and a commitment was made to allocate two thirds of the budget specifically for basic health care.
India presently has over 160,000 AB-Health & Wellness Centres, which are designed to offer full primary healthcare services, including maternity and child health services, as well as free vital medications and diagnostic tests.
These centres are conveniently located near people’s homes. The Centre provides screenings for hypertension, diabetes, oral cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer.
Ayushman Arogya Mandir: Transforming Healthcare
Ayushman Bharat’s objective is to transition from providing limited healthcare to giving a comprehensive range of services, encompassing preventative, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care.
It consists of two components:
- There is a plan to establish 150,000 HWCs that will provide free Comprehensive Primary Health Care. These centres will focus on promoting wellness and offering a broader range of services at the community level.
- The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) provides health insurance coverage of Rs. 5 lakhs per year to more over 10 crore underprivileged families for secondary and tertiary healthcare.
Key features of HWC now Ayushman Arogya Mandir
Key features are –
- Comprehensive Primary Health Care: Converting current Sub Health Centres and Primary Health Centres into AB-Health & Wellness Centres guarantees that everyone has access to a wider choice of Comprehensive Primary Health Care services.
- Human-Centric Approach: Advocating for a comprehensive and inclusive approach to addressing health problems by prioritising the well-being of individuals, fostering connections within the community, and actively involving community members.
- Provision of Free Essential Medicines and Diagnostic Services: Ensuring that all individuals have access to necessary medicines and diagnostic services without any cost.
- Provision of High-Quality Care: Facilitating the provision of high-quality care for various health risks and diseases by increasing the accessibility of medicines and diagnostic tools.
- Collaborative Approach: Cultivating a culture that emphasises working together as a team to provide comprehensive health care services, including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care.
- Continuity of Care: Maintaining uninterrupted care by establishing a two-way referral system between AB-Health & Wellness Centres and AB-PMJAY, as well as providing ongoing assistance for patients.
Objectives of Jan Arogya Samiti (JAS)
The following are key objectives are –
- The AB-HWCs at the SHC/PHC level will function as an institutional platform, similar to RKS at PHC/CHC, to involve the community in managing and governing the healthcare services and facilities, and to ensure accountability.
- Assist the centres team in collaborating with VHSNCs to implement health promotion and take action on social and environmental factors that influence health.
- Act as a central organisation for VHSNCs, offering guidance and support in the administration of Untied Funds and collaboration with the health system.
- Collaborate with the Village Health and Sanitation Committees (VHSNCs) in the region to implement community-level interventions for the Ayushman Bharat HWC.
- This includes assisting in the screening process for different age groups, promoting follow-up appointments, ensuring treatment adherence, and providing support to patient support groups.
- Utilise the existing pool of organised volunteers such as SHG, NSS, NCC, Red Cross, Scouts and Guide, Youth groups to carry out follow-up, counselling, mobilisation, and other activities.
- Assist and streamline the implementation of social responsibility initiatives at centres by coordinating with VHSNCs.
Service Delivery Through HWC/Ayushman Arogya Mandir
The service delivery include preventative, promotive, curative, and rehabilitative healthcare, which is provided at three distinct levels.
- At the family/household and community levels, we will conduct various activities to engage with the community.
These activities include outreach OPDs (Outpatient Departments), Health Mela (Health Fairs), Village Panchayat (local government meetings), Village and Home Visits, as well as visits to schools and Anganwadi centres.
- AB-Health & Wellness Centres.
- Providing services in proximity to the community and implementing vigilant oversight will enhance accessibility and assist in mitigating the marginalisation and exclusion of particular demographic groups.
Access to Free Essential Medicines And Diagnostic Services
In order to enhance healthcare services, Sub Health Centres (SHCs) catering to a population of 3,000 – 5,000 individuals are being upgraded to Health and Wellness Centres.
Furthermore, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) located in both rural and urban areas are currently undergoing a conversion process to become AB-HWCs. These centres will serve as the primary locations for dispensing medications.
The number of essential drugs at PHC-AB-HWCs has been augmented to 172, while the number of essential diagnostic services has been expanded to 63. The number of critical drugs at SHC-AB-HWCs has been raised to 105, along with 14 essential diagnostic services.
This ensures that individuals receive the necessary medications without having to travel long distances from their place of residence.
Quick Recap
When discussing HWC, our objective is not alone to treat ailments, but also to proactively avoid them. Our country has a significant prevalence of individuals suffering from hypertension and diabetes.
Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory issues, and cancer are responsible for 60% of health-related deaths.
However, these disorders can be averted if identified promptly. The Health and Wellness centres are making efforts to offer free disease diagnosis.
FAQs
What is the purpose of a Health and Wellness Center?
To provide a wider range of primary health care services to their community, improving access, universality, and equity.
What is the new name of Health and Wellness Center?
The new name of HWC is Ayushman Arogya Mandir.
What is the tagline of AB-Health and Wellness Center?
Rebranded AB-Health and Wellness Center will bear the tagline ‘Arogyam Parmam Dhanam’.
What is NHP full form?
The full form of NHP is National Health Policy.
Nishank is a social impact enthusiast with a solid foundation in public policy, micro-enterprise, and agribusiness. Growing up in a farmer’s family has given him a profound connection to rural communities, fueling his passion to empower people towards self-reliance. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Delhi University and earned a master’s degree in Rural Management from National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj in Hyderabad.
