Q. What are the major objectives of Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission?

The Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), aims to address healthcare needs comprehensively through two major initiatives: Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). The primary objectives of Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission are:

1. Universal Health Coverage:

• Financial Protection: Provide financial protection to poor and vulnerable families by covering medical expenses for serious illnesses, thereby preventing catastrophic healthcare expenditures.
• Equity: Ensure equitable access to quality healthcare services across different sections of society, particularly for the poor and marginalized.

2. Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs):

• Comprehensive Primary Healthcare: Establish 150,000 Health and Wellness Centers to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare services, including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care.
• Preventive and Promotive Health: Focus on prevention and promotion of health through regular screening and early detection of diseases, especially non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Community Participation: Enhance community engagement and participation in health programs, ensuring that healthcare services are responsive to the needs of the local population.

3. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY):

• Healthcare Coverage: Provide an annual health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 10 crore vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries).
• Cashless and Paperless Access: Enable beneficiaries to avail cashless and paperless access to healthcare services across empaneled public and private hospitals in India.
• Portability: Ensure portability of benefits across the country, allowing beneficiaries to access healthcare services from any empaneled hospital, regardless of their location.

4. Quality and Accountability:

• Quality Assurance: Improve the quality of healthcare services by setting standards for healthcare facilities and ensuring adherence to these standards through regular monitoring and evaluation.
• Grievance Redressal: Establish robust grievance redressal mechanisms to address complaints and feedback from beneficiaries, ensuring accountability and transparency in service delivery.

5. Strengthening Health Infrastructure:

• Capacity Building: Enhance the capacity of healthcare providers and institutions through training and development programs, ensuring they are equipped to deliver quality care.
• Infrastructure Development: Support the development and upgrading of healthcare infrastructure, particularly in underserved and remote areas, to improve access to healthcare services.

6. Sustainable Financing:

• Efficient Resource Utilization: Promote efficient use of resources by leveraging technology and data-driven decision-making to optimize healthcare delivery and reduce wastage.
• Public-Private Partnerships: Encourage partnerships between the public and private sectors to expand the reach and improve the quality of healthcare services.

7. Health Information Systems:

• Digitization: Promote the use of digital health technologies and electronic health records (EHRs) to improve healthcare delivery, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Data Analytics: Utilize data analytics to identify health trends, track program performance, and inform policy decisions, ensuring evidence-based planning and implementation.

Overall, Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission aims to create a robust, accessible, and equitable healthcare system in India that provides financial risk protection and quality healthcare services to all citizens, especially the underprivileged.