COVID-19 pandemic highlighted health infrastructural gaps in India and measures to bridge them: Union minister Mandaviya

Raipur, Jul 6 (PTI) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in the country’s health infrastructure and measures which could be taken to bridge them.

Mandaviya said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to set up a critical care unit in every district of the country with an expenditure of Rs 64,000 crore under National Health Infrastructure Mission.

He was talking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of a ‘Critical Care Health Block’ at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur.

Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country is changing and marching ahead. A lot of changes have been taking place in the health sector as well, Mandaviya said.

“We learnt a lot of things during COVID-19. The pandemic highlighted infrastructural gaps in the health sector of the country and how they can be bridged.

“Then, Modi ji decided that under the National Health Infrastructure Mission, a critical care unit will be started in every district of the country with an expenditure of Rs 64,000 crore,” he said.

He said the critical care unit at the AIIMS in Raipur will be set up at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

The unit will have more than 100 beds, oxygen and ventilator facilities, he said, adding such facilities will help during emergency as well as normal situations.

Mandaviya said more than 1,60,000 health and wellness centres are working in the country in the primary health care sector while for the secondary care, the work of setting up medical colleges in district hospitals is underway at a rapid pace.

As far as tertiary care is concerned, today the work of setting up of 16 AIIMS has been completed in the country. Overall, 22 (new) AIIMS are being set up in the country, he said.

The aim is to invest an average Rs 100 crore in each of the 750 districts in the next four years under the National Health Infrastructure Mission, the minister said.

He interacted with the faculty and students of the AIIMS Raipur and encouraged them to focus on research and innovation in the health sector.