The Ayushman Bharat Scheme played an instrumental role during the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 41 thousand Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres have provided universal and comprehensive primary health care facilities to poor people during the COVID-19 crisis. Over 8.8 crore footfalls have been recorded at these centres in the last five months.
In several states, Health and Wellness Centres’ teams screened people for Influenza like illness and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness symptoms and facilitated testing for COVID-19. They also conducted health check-ups and created awareness among people about the preventive measures like frequent hand washing, wearing masks and maintaining adequate social distancing. These Centres also conducted wellness sessions for migrants in the quarantine facilities. Teams of Health and Wellness Centres have also played a key role in providing of non-COVID essential services to the communities. Immunization sessions are being organized and delivery of essential medicines is also being undertaken by these teams. Bhupendra Singh, AIR News, Delhi
Despite restrictions on movement of people during the lockdown periods, more than three crore 88 lakh individuals were screened for hypertension, diabetes and oral, breast or cervical cancer by the teams of Health and Wellness Centres. In the month of June, medicines were given to 5 lakh 62 thousand patients of hypertension and 3 lakh 77 lakh diabetes patients.
More than 6 lakh fifty thousand yoga and wellness sessions have also been organised at Health and Wellness Centres since the COVID-19 outbreak in India. Between January to June this year, additional 12 thousand 425 Health and Wellness Centres were operationalized taking the overall number to 41 thousand 790. The government has set a target of establishing 1.5 lakh Health and Wellness centres by 2022.
