India first Asian country to have two container-based hospitals: Health minister

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said that the government is working with a ‘saturation approach’ for affordable and quality healthcare. Addressing a press conference, Mandaviya highlighted some of the key features of PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi a day earlier.

The minister said 134 different types of tests will be done for free at the district level under the new programme to save costs and reduce inconvenience for poor people. He further stated that two container-based hospitals will be kept ready at all times which can be swiftly mobilised by rail or air to respond to any calamity across the country.

The pan-India Health Infrastructure Scheme aims to provide a fillip to India's capacity to address emergent Public Health issues, which, according to the government, will bring about a “paradigm shift” in India’s healthcare infrastructure. Mandaviya said that the scheme will provide primary, secondary, tertiary, digital and resilient healthcare systems that will equip the country to face the challenges of pandemics in the future.

“The poorest person is today getting the same quality healthcare as others in premier hospitals through Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY”, he added.

The minister informed that 1,50,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres will be set up, of which around 79,000 are already functioning. He opined that the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has provided India with the opportunity to boost healthcare facilities including laboratories, hospitals and diagnostic facilities at all levels of healthcare. Mandaviya stated that the government is working to ensure that every district has at least one medical college.

“This will also build a trained frontline health workforce to respond to any public health emergency”, the Union Health Minister added.