PM Modi Launches Rs 64,000 Crore Mega Health Infra Mission

Ayushman bharat

VARANASI (UP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a Rs 64,000 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, one of the largest pan-India schemes to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure, from his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

He also inaugurated various development projects worth around Rs 5,200 crore for his constituency.

The mission will strengthen the health infrastructure of Uttar Pradesh as well as of the country, help in preparations to face future pandemics and bring confidence and self-reliance in the health sector, Modi said.

The prime minister said ‘arogya’ (overall wellbeing) is considered the base of all ‘karma’ and investments made to keep the body healthy has always been considered the best investment.

However, not enough was done in this front for a long time after Independence, he claimed.

“Those who had been in the government for a long-time kept healthcare deprived of all-around development. Either there were not enough hospitals in villages or doctors were not there. Testing facilities were not available in block level.”

This newly launched mission will address these shortcomings, Modi said.

The target is to strengthen the healthcare network from village to block and national levels in the next four years. Special focus would be on the northeastern and the hilly states, the prime minister said.