17-Dec-2022: Over 4 crore health records of citizens digitized and linked with their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

The flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is making steady progress in building a comprehensive digital health ecosystem for the country. With over 4 crore digital health records linked to the ABHA accounts of individuals, the scheme has crossed a significant milestone. More than 29 crore citizens have generated their unique Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) so far.

With their health records linked to their ABHA accounts digitally, citizens will be able to access and manage these records as per convenience. This enables citizens to create a comprehensive medical history across various healthcare providers thereby improving clinical decision-making. Further, the citizens can also share relevant health records with ABDM registered healthcare providers digitally.

Elaborating on ABDM’s role in digitizing health records, Dr. R. S. Sharma, CEO, NHA said – “As the implementing agency for ABDM, National Health Authority is working closely with different stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of digital health services can be availed by more citizens. We’re planning to launch an incentive scheme for health facilities such as hospitals, clinics, diagnostic labs etc. to further promote digitization of health records. We’re also encouraging different health locker applications to integrate with ABDM so that citizens get more choice for storing and managing their digital records.”

Adding further he said – “With continuous focus on digitization of health records, we aim to achieve paperless medical consultations and thereby more accuracy in each transaction between the patient and healthcare service provider.”

This digital linking of individual’s health records with ABHA is being carried out extensively across different health facilities of the country with the support of State Governments. The leading contributors to ABHA-linked health records include Government of Andhra Pradesh, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) scheme under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, eHospital and CoWIN among others.

2-Aug-2022: Measures to accelerate Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) adoption in the country

An individual can create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (number) (ABHA) which is a unique identifier for a citizen in the health ecosystem. Presently, ABHA can be created by an individual through their Aadhaar number or driving license.

ABHA will help the individual to link and share their digital health records with consent across multiple systems and stakeholders. This helps create their longitudinal health records across different healthcare providers which facilitates better delivery of healthcare to them.

Ministry has taken multiple measures to accelerate ABHA adoption in the country. National Health Authority (NHA) is collaborating with several government health programmes, government health solutions/applications, private integrators to accelerate creation of ABHA. For ABHA creation in remote locations with limited or no internet connectivity, ABDM has also rolled out the feature of offline ABHA creation. 

16-Dec-2022: PMSSY envisages to generate employment opportunities to about 55 lakh personnel in fisheries and aquaculture sector by 2024-25

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) envisages to generate direct and indirect employment opportunities to about 55 lakh personnel in fisheries and aquaculture sector by 2024-25.

The scheme aims to create direct and indirect employment opportunities for fishers, fish farmers, fish workers, fish vendors, entrepreneurs and enhance income of fishers and other stakeholders etc., through the implementation of various targeted interventions in fish production, productivity, fisheries infrastructure and marketing.

5-Apr-2022: Update on Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana

A target of 400 super-specialty Departments under approved projects for upgradation of Government Medical Colleges has been indicated in the Output Outcome Monitoring Framework (OOMF) for Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana for the year 2021-22.  In the completed projects of Super Specialty Blocks (SSB), the number of sanctioned Super Specialty Departments is 357.  

Against the OOMF target of 7500 bed capacity in 13 AIIMS, the total bed capacity achieved is 6990 beds in respect of 12 AIIMS.  All the 18 specialty departments envisioned for new AIIMS are functional in six functional AIIMS i.e., AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh. Further, all the 17 super-specialty departments are functional at Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur and Rishikesh, whereas the number of such Departments functional in AIIMS at Bhopal, Patna and Raipur are 14, 14 and 13, respectively.

In new AIIMS, recruitment to various positions is done on need basis keeping in view the range of additional services and facilities added. The incumbency position at various AIIMS is monitored and vacancies are advertised based on requirement. However, as high standards have to be maintained in selection, keeping in view the stature of these Institutes of National Importance, all the advertised positions could not be filled up.  The following steps have been taken to fill up vacant posts in new AIIMS:

1. Constitution of Standing Selection Committee (SSC) in each new AIIMS to facilitate expeditious filling up of vacancies.
2. The upper age limit for direct recruitment against the posts of Professor and Additional Professor has been raised from 50 years to 58 years.
3. Filling up of vacant faculty posts in the new AIIMS by taking serving faculty from Government Medical Colleges/Institutes on deputation basis has been allowed.
4. Contractual engagement of retired faculty of Government Medical Colleges/ Institutes up to 70 years of age has also been allowed. Walk-in-interview for engagement of faculty on contract basis has also been allowed.
5. Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders have been allowed to be appointed on faculty positions.
6. Visiting faculty scheme in new AIIMS has been formulated to allow national and international faculty to work in new AIIMS for teaching and academic purposes.
7. Down-grading of the posts of Additional/Associate Professor to the level of Assistant Professor has been allowed for a fixed period by the AIIMS with the approval of their respective Institute Body.
8. Temporary diversion has been allowed on loan basis for faculty from one Department to another, which may be filled up on contractual appointment.
9. Relaxation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been allowed as per Rules/ Guidelines issued by DoPT.
10. Running advertisement with one-year validity have been allowed to expedite the recruitment of faculty after which fresh running or normal advertisement can be issued again depending upon faculty strength.
11. Constitution of a sub-committee of the Governing Body of new AIIMS to consider and approve recommendations of the respective Standing Selection Committee.
12. Centralized recruitment for nursing cadres has been introduced.

7-Feb-2020: Hospitals under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya  Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) aims at correcting the imbalances in the availability of affordable healthcare facilities in different parts of the country in general, and augmenting facilities for quality medical education in the under-served States in particular.  PMSSY, a Central Sector Scheme has two components-setting up of AIIMS-like Institutions and upgradation of existing Government Medical Colleges/Institutions in a phased manner.

Under PMSSY, four (4) existing Government Medical Colleges in Rajasthan have been taken up for up-gradation. Apart from this AIIMS Jodhpur has been set up under PMSSY at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 820 Crore.

For administrative and running expenses, the details of fund released till date for AIIMS Jodhpur is given below:

1. Grants in Aid (General) – Rs. 438.78 Crore
2. Grants in Aid (Capital) – Rs. 462.10 Crore
3. Grants in Aid (General) – Rs. 474.93 Crore

16-May-2018: Cabinet approves setting up of a new AIIMS in Deogarh, Jharkhand

The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Deogarh, Jharkhand. A provision of funds worth Rs. 1103 crore has been approved for the project and the said AIIMS will be set up under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

Impact: The setting up of new AIIMS at Deogarh will serve the dual purpose of providing super speciality health care to the population while also helping to create a large pool of doctors and other health workers in this region to be available for primary and secondary-level institutions/facilities being created under the National Health Mission (NHM).

Background: Under the PMSSY, AIIMS have been established in Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Raipur, Jodhpur, Rishikesh and Patna. Work of AIIMS Rae Bareli (U.P.), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Kalyani (West Bengal) and Mangalagiri in Guntur (A.P.) is in progress. Construction work has also been awarded for AIIMS, Gorakhpur (U.P.).

Further, following AIIMS have also been sanctioned:

• Bathinda, Punjab in July 2016
• Guwahati (Assam), May 2017
• Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) in January 2018

2-May-2018: Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) to be continued beyond 12th five year plan

In a major boost to the expansion of healthcare infrastructure in the country, the Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) beyond 12th Five Year Plan to 2019-20. The financial outlay for this purpose is Rs 14,832 crore. Under this scheme, new AIIMS are established and Government medical colleges are upgraded.

Objectives: The PMSSY, a Central Sector Scheme, aims at correcting the imbalances in the availability of affordable tertiary healthcare facilities in different parts of the country in general, and augmenting facilities for quality medical education in the under-served States in particular.

Impact: Setting up of new AIIMS would not only transform health education and training but also address the shortfall of health care professionals in the region. Construction of new AIIMS is fully funded by the Central Government. The Operations & Maintenance expenses on new AIIMS are also fully borne by the Central Government.

Upgradation programme broadly envisages improving health infrastructure through construction of Super Specialty Blocks/Trauma Centers etc. and procurement of medical equipment for existing as well as new facilities on Central and State share basis.

Employment Generation: Setting up new AIIMS in various states will lead to employment generation for nearly 3000 people in various faculty & non-faculty posts in each of the AIIMS. Further, indirect employment generation will take place due to facilities & services like shopping centre, canteens, etc. coming in the vicinity of new AIIMS.

The upgradation programme is carried out in selected Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) by agencies appointed by the Government of India under the direct supervision of the Central Government. Post-Graduate seats and additional faculty posts as per norms will be created and filled up in these GMCs by the respective State/UT Governments.

The construction activity involved for creation of the physical infrastructure for the various new AIIMS and Government Medical Colleges' upgradation projects being undertaken under the scheme is also expected to generate substantial employment in the construction phase as well.

Background: The PMSSY was announced in 2003 with objectives of correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/ reliable tertiary healthcare services and also to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country.

PMSSY has two components -

1. Setting up of AIIMS-like institutions; and
2. Up-gradation of existing State Government Medical College (GMCs).

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