E-Paper
PM-ABHIM: Chandigarh to utilise 7 old school buildings to set up HWCs
The Chandigarh administration has decided to utilise vacant buildings of seven old government schools to set up health and wellness centres (HWCs) under the Union government’s Prime Minister-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)
The Chandigarh administration has decided to utilise vacant buildings of seven old government schools to set up health and wellness centres (HWCs) under the Union government’s Prime Minister-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
When the central government had launched the PM-ABHIM in 2021, it had directed the UT administration to set up 16 more HWCs across the city, of which nine have already been established. The Union government had approved ₹6.75 crore to set up the centres.
In 2022, UT health department converted nine outreach centres into HWCs with upgraded health facilities at locations including — Raipur Kalan, Badheri, Khudda Jassu, Kishangarh, Raipur Khurd, Khuda Lahora, Khuda Alisher, Indira Colony and Sector 44.
Unlike outreach centres, HWCs provide an expanded range of services encompassing communicable and non-communicable diseases, oral health, ENT care, basic emergency care and palliative care, apart from services for the elderly, women and children.
As the UT health department was short of vacant spaces in the city to set up seven more HWCs, UT health secretary Yashpal Garg had written to UT adviser Dharam Pal, requesting permission to utilise buildings of old government schools.
The UT adviser has now approved the proposal and asked the UT education department to handover the possession of seven government schools, including—old government middle school buildings of Raipur Kalan, Kishangarh, Hallomajra; buildings of government model middle schools in Palsora, Makhan Mara; building of government primary school in Manimajra and building of government high school in Sarangpur.
Chandigarh currently has 38 HWCs and five Ayush HWCs in the city and the addition of seven more will take their number to 50.
UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said, “We have inspected the school buildings and found them suitable to set up the HWCs. The UT education department will soon handover the possession of the buildings and we will start the implementation of the project. We aim to upgrade the nine existing centers and set up these seven more centers in 2023, to ensure better health facilities in the city.”
PM-ABHIM is a pan-India health scheme to strengthen health care infrastructure at the grassroots level. Launched with an outlay of ₹64,180 crore, it aims to accomplish comprehensive healthcare across the country in the next five years. Under the scheme, states and UTs are focusing on setting up HWCs, labs and critical care units.
