Health Ministry to expand diagnostic services in Arogya Mandirs

The Union health ministry is planning to expand the diagnostic services available in its health and wellness centre named Ayushman Arogya Mandir, according to two officials aware of developments in the matter.

The main reason behind the plan is to reduce the burden of patient load in hospitals and have more patients treated in these wellness centres.

“Many patients visit the hospitals to get diagnostic services, which is time-consuming and increases the load on hospitals. Therefore, the plan is to cut down that pressure and provide the best of the diagnostic services in Arogya Mandirs so that they don’t have to rush to hospitals.

Also, an initial study of the patient’s disease can help them to get directed for further reference in a better way. Doctors will see the report at Arogya Mandir and guide them which hospital to visit or which doctor to consult,” said one of the officials cited above.

The Ayushman Bharat programme has two components —health and wellness centres (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). Last year in November, the health and wellness centres were renamed as Arogya Mandir.

In February 2018, the government announced the creation of 150,000 HWCs by transforming existing sub centres and primary health centres. These centres are to deliver comprehensive primary health care (CPHC) bringing healthcare closer to the homes of people.

“For expansion of diagnostic services, we are also focussing on local manufacturers to come up with their devices. Because transport of such heavy machines is a task, especially in rural belts or regions with poor connectivity. This will also boost the Make in India,” the official noted.

The wellness centres which were renamed as Arogya Mandir are envisaged to deliver an expanded range of services that include care for maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, palliative and rehabilitative care, oral, eye and ENT, mental health and first level care for emergencies and trauma, including free essential drugs and diagnostic services.

With the goal of having these centres accredited by 2026, the facilities are being pushed to go through the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) evaluation and certification process.

“The concept is to provide a holistic healthcare facility and not mere treatment of ailments. So, the plan is also to encourage and expand activities offered by the all-inclusive primary health care and wellness package such as yoga, zumba, meditation, nutrition and lifestyle counselling, cyclothons, marathons, yearly health days, and more,” the official noted.

As per the health ministry data, the Ayushman Arogya Mandir saw a footfall of over 2 billion by the end of September last year.

The Ayushman Arogya Mandir provides screening of various diseases, including hypertension (485.8 million people screened so far), diabetes (421.7 million) oral cancer (287 million), breast cancer (131.6 million) and cervical canc er (89.3 million).

Last year, the ministry had announced that various steps have been taken to increase the outpatients in Ayushman Arogya Mandir such as connecting these centres through e-Sanjeevani Tele-Consultation to provide specialist consultation in case of need and ensure continuity of care through appropriate referrals and optimal home and community follow-up.

An emailed query to the ministry remained unanswered. LiveMint