Govt plans to link Ayushman health centres with AIIMS

New Delhi: In a major scale up of over 1.17 lakh Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the Centre plans to link them with various regional centres of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on a hub and spoke model, enabling people at block level to seek advice for not just primary care but also do teleconsultation with renowned specialists for critical diseases that might need tertiary care, official sources said.

“The programme will be launched in an all-India event on April 16 to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Ayushman Bharat HWCs. We have also planned an interaction with beneficiaries to make them aware about this facility and address their concerns,” an official told TOI.

The move assumes significance as it will transform the role of HWCs from mere primary care centres to facilitating high-end treatment at grassroot level. The idea is to use teleconsultation in a major way to ensure timely availability of quality healthcare services at the village level, where people may not have easy access to leading hospitals and health facilities.

The Centre had also run similar facilities for Covid-19 management where states were advised to establish tele-consultation hubs in every district and focus on widespread awareness regarding available infrastructure and healthcare services.

With an aim to make healthcare services accessible across the country, particularly in remote areas, the Centre had notified telemedicine guidelines as part of Indian Medical Council (IMC) Regulation in 2020, enabling registered medical practitioners to provide consultation and write prescriptions based on telephone conversation.

The launch of the HWCs linking with AIIMS will be followed by a week-long mega health event - starting from April 16 to 22 - will also entail a four day long health mela at the block level in every district for screening of common lifestyle disorders including heart disorders, tuberculosis and diabetes. Apart from this a yoga and meditation campaign will also be organised across 1 lakh HWCs to spread awareness about health lifestyle practices.

Apart from health, various other ministries like Panchayati Raj, Ayush ministry, state health ministers and block level officers are involved in the event, the official said.

Recently, the health ministry has also started its flagship telemedicine service eSanjeevani with over one lakh doctors and specialists on board.