Mansukh Mandaviya lays foundation stone, inaugurates health infrastructure projects in Assam

Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 16 (ANI): Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday laid the foundation stone of infrastructure projects worth Rs 34.80 crore and inaugurated infrastructure works with the financial support of Rs 86.72 crore under the Pradhan Mantri- Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), National Health Mission (NHM) and XVth Finance Commission Health Grants in Assam during a programme held at IIT Guwahati.

The event was also attended by Assam Health Minister Keshab Mahanta.

PM-ABHIM is the largest Pan-India scheme for strengthening public health infrastructure launched on October 25, 2021, with a total financial outlay of Rs 64,180 crore.

For Assam State, support is provided for an amount of Rs 1300.67 crore under PM-ABHIM for the construction/strengthening of 768 Building-less SC-HWC, 207 BPHUs, 33 IPHLs at the District level and 27 CCBs during the scheme period.

The National Health Mission (NHM) envisages the achievement of universal access to equitable, affordable and quality healthcare services that are accountable and responsive to people’s needs.

The major focus of NHM is towards prevention aspects and therefore the support is provided up to Secondary Level health care services provisioning including strengthening of health care infrastructure.

Under the Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV) health grants, overall support for an amount of Rs 70,051 crore is provided to 28 States over the five-year period from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26 to facilitate the strengthening of the health system at the grass-root level.

Out of the total grants for health through Local Governments of Rs 70,051 crore, Rs 43,928 crore has been allocated as tied grants for the 28 states through Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) and Rs 26,123 crore has been allocated as tied grants for Urban local bodies (ULBs).

Under the above schemes, today Foundation Stone was laid by the Union Health Minister Mandaviya for one Critical Care Block (CCB 50 Bedded) at Lakhimpur District, one Integrated Public Health Laboratory (IPHL) in Nagaon District, five Block Public Health Units (BPHUs) at Kamrup (2 nos), West Karbi Anglong, Cachar and Charaideo Districts and one Community Health Centre (CHC) at Dibrugarh district at Cachar district under PM-ABHIM and XV-FC Health Grants with the financial support of Rs 34.80 crore.

Also, the Mandaviya inaugurated the infrastructure works namely the up-gradation of four Sub-district hospitals at Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Jorhat districts and the construction of CHCs at Barpeta (2nos), Hailakandi and Sivasgar districts under NHM with the financial support of Rs 86.72 crore.

State officials were appreciated during the event for their significant achievement and for marking this milestone towards the implementation of PM-ABHIM, NHM and XV-FC Health Grants.