Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is taking steps to set up special hospitals/hospital blocks for development of basic infrastructure for the treatment of infectious diseases;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT/district-wise; and
(c) the efforts made by the Government to strengthen laboratory network?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) to (c):
• In the Budget speech of FY 21-22, ‘Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana’ (PM-ASBY) scheme has been announced for an amount of Rs. 64180 Crores.
• The proposed scheme has a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) component of establishing 50 or 100 bedded critical care blocks for the treatment of infectious diseases in 602 districts of the country and also has a Central Sector component of setting up 150 bedded critical care blocks in 12 Central Institutions.
• Further, under the PM-ASBY, labs under Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are proposed ot be strengthened, including setting up of 4-mobile BSL-III laboratories and strengthening Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs).
• The PM-ASBY scheme also has the CSS component to strengthen the laboratory networks in the country by supporting the States/UTs in setting up of 3382 Block Public Health Units with Labs in 11 High Focus States and also, setting up of District Integrated Public Health Labs in 730 districts of the Country.
• Further, under Free Diagnostic Services Initiative of National Health Mission (NHM), States/UTs are supported to provide free and essential diagnostic services by strengthening the laboratories in public healthcare facilities such as CHCs, SDHs and DHs including under Hub and Spoke model.