- Following Mizoram and Nagaland, Meghalaya has refused to rename its health and wellness centres as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
- Since health is a state subject, we have the right not to comply, stated Meghalaya’s Health and Family Welfare Minister.
- Less than a year ago, the Union Health Ministry decided to rename its flagship Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres as Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) with the tagline ‘Arogyam parmam dhanam’ (health is the greatest wealth).
- There are 1.6 lakh such centres across the country.
Ayushman Bharat
- It has two complementary components:
- First Component: Creation of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
- Deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care, which is universal and free to users.
- Focus on wellness and delivery of an expanded range of services closer to the community.
- Services include care for non-communicable diseases, palliative and rehabilitative care, oral, eye and ENT care, mental health, and first-level care for emergencies and trauma, including free essential drugs and diagnostic services.
- Second Component: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
- Provides health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per year.
- Covers over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families seeking secondary and tertiary care.
- Ayushman Arogya Mandir is an attempt to move from a selective approach to health care to deliver a comprehensive range of services spanning preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care.
Dig Deeper: Read about the ‘One Health’ approach of WHO, Also read about a reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure on Health in India.
