22 New AIIMS, 75 GMCs Approved for Upgradation Under PMSSY: JP Nadda Health informs Lok Sabha

New Delhi: The upgradation of 75 Government Medical Colleges and Institutions (GMCIs), including Patliputra Medical College in Dhanbad and Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, along with the establishment of 22 new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) – including one at Deoghar in Jharkhand, have been approved under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) to offer super speciality healthcare facilities across the country.

Additionally, a total of 157 Medical Colleges have been approved in the country under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for ‘Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached to existing district/referral hospitals'. The details in this regard were presented in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda recently. 

The Minister was asked a series of questions by Parliament member Shri Dulu Mahato who sought to know whether the Government proposes to set up new Super Speciality Hospitals or to upgrade existing hospitals in all the important districts of the country including Dhanbad district in Jharkhand on the lines of AIIMS model, if so, the concrete steps taken so far by the Government to set up or to upgrade the said hospitals as Super Speciality in the said districts, State/UT-wise along with the future plans being formulated in this regard.

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Also, he enquired whether the Government is taking some other measures to improve the status of healthcare services in the said areas, if so, the details of the measures being implemented presently and whether the Government proposes to fix any timeline and allocate a budget for the improvement of healthcare services in Dhanbad and other districts of Jharkhand and if so, the details thereof?

Responding to these queries, the Minister informed, "Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), there is a provision for upgradation of existing Government Medical Colleges/Institutions (GMCIs) by way of setting up of Super Speciality Blocks (SSB)/Trauma Centers. So far, 75 such projects have been approved under the Scheme, including the upgradation of Patliputra Medical College, Dhanbad and Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi in Jharkhand. Further, the establishment of 22 new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), including AIIMS at Deoghar in Jharkhand, has been approved under the Scheme. All AIIMS have provisions for Super Speciality healthcare facilities."

"Public health is a State subject. However, under Centrally Sponsored Scheme for ‘Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals’, a total of 157 Medical Colleges have been approved in the country," he added. 

According to the Minister, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the National Health Mission (NHM) provides technical and financial support to the States/UTs to strengthen the public healthcare system towards the objective of providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to all those who access public health facilities. Support under NHM is provided to States/UTs based on the requirements posted by them in their Programme Implementation Plan (PIPs) and within their overall resource envelope.

The various initiatives carried out under NHM by the Government of India in various States including Jharkhand are operationalisation of Ayushman Arogya Mandir, National Ambulance Services, Mobile Medical Units, ASHAs, 24 x 7 Services and First Referral facilities, Prime Minister's National Dialysis Programme, Free Diagnostics Service Initiative and Free Drugs Service Initiative, various activities under RCH, Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy, Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) and Universal Immunization Programme.

Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) component of the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), administrative approvals amounting to Rs 20,451.31 crore have been granted to States and Union Territories for the period 2021-22 to 2024-25.

"CSS component of PM-ABHIM provides for the establishment of Critical Care Blocks (CCBs) in 602 districts with a population of more than 5 lakhs. In addition to support for establishment of 15 CCBs, an amount of Rs. 625.68 cr. has been approved for the State of Jharkhand for FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25 for the establishment and strengthening of 893 Building-less Sub-centres Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM), 100 Block Public Health Units (BPHUs) and 17 Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHL). Further, under the Central Sector component of PM-ABHIM, establishment of 150 bedded CCBs has been approved in 12 Central Institutions," the Minister added. 

Under the Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV) health sector grants, a provision of Rs.70,051 Crore, including Rs.2370.19 Crore for Jharkhand, has been made for strengthening health infrastructure, drugs, and diagnostics from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26

Details of allocation for funds during the current year for the State of Jharkhand are as follows: