The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the inclusion of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centre (AYUSH HWC) component of Ayushman Bharat in National AYUSH Mission (NAM).

The proposal entails an expenditure of Rs. 3399.35 Crore (Rs.2209.58 Crore as Central Share and Rs. 1189.77 crore as State share) for operationalization of AYUSH HWCs within a period of five years that is from financial years 2019-20 to 2023-24.

The operationlization of AYUSH HWCs component under NAM shall have to achieve the following objectives:

a.  To establish a holistic wellness model based on AYUSH principles and practices focusing on preventive promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative healthcare by integration with the existing public health care system.

b.  To provide informed choice to the needy public by making the AYUSH services available.

c.  The AYUSH services include community awareness about lifestyle, die, Yoga, medicinal plants and provision of medicines for selected conditions as per strength of AYUSH systems.

The Ministry of AYUSH, in consultation with States/UTs, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and other line Ministries, has proposed following two models for operationalization of 12,500 AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres throughout the country:

1. Upgradation of existing AYUSH dispensaries (approximately 10,000)
2. Upgradation of existing Sub Health Centres (SHCs) (approx. 2,500)

Benefits:

• Enhanced accessibility to achieve universal health coverage for affordable treatment.
• Reduced burden on secondary and tertiary health care facilities
• Reduced out of pocket expenditure due to "self-care" model.
• Integration of AYUSH in implementation of SDG 3, as mandated by NITI Aayog
• Validated holistic wellness model in target areas.

Background:

The National Health Policy 2017 has advocated mainstreaming the potential of AYUSH systems (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sows-rigpa and Homoeopathy) within a pluralistic system of Integrative healthcare.

The Government of India, in February, 2018 has decided that 1.5 lakh health & wellness Centres would be created by transforming existing Sub health Centres and Primary health Centres to deliver Comprehensive Primary health Care.

It was further decided that Ministry of AYUSH will operationalize 10% of the total sub-health Centres as Health and Wellness Centres i.e. 12,500 under Ayushman Bharat.

The vision of the proposal is to establish a holistic wellness model based on AYUSH principles and practices, to empower masses for "self care" to reduce the disease burden and out of pocket expenditure and to provide informed choice of the needy public.

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VRRK/AK