India-ADB sign 2,000 Cr loan agreement to improve primary healthcare in 13 states

In order to improve the primary health care in urban areas of 13 states, the government of India (GOI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a 300 million dollar loan (Rs 2,235 crore). This will benefit over 256 million urban dwellers including 51 million from slum areas and Strengthen Comprehensive Primary Health Care and pandemic preparedness in urban areas. The 13 states where the programme will be implemented are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and West Bengal.

GOI & ABD sign USD 300 million loan to improve primary health care

According to the Ministry of Finance's press release, Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, signed the agreement on the behalf of GOI while Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission, signed for ADB. 

"The programme supports the Government of India's key health initiatives - Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) and Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PM-ASBY) - which has been renamed as Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) - by expanding availability and access to quality primary health care services particularly for vulnerable populations in urban areas," Mishra told ANI

Ayushman Bharat was launched in 2018 which aims to improve access to comprehensive primary health care as a key strategy to achieve universal health coverage in India. With the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that put additional pressure on the country's health system, the government launched PM-ASBY later renamed as PM-ABHIM in October 2021 to adopt a long-term approach to system strengthening to prepare for future pandemics and other emergencies.

"Ensuring equitable access to non-COVID-19 primary health care is critical amid challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to India's health system," said Konishi.

Apart from the pandemic response, the program promotes increased utilization of urban health and wellness centres with the provision of comprehensive primary health care packages including non-communicable diseases and community outreach services such as awareness-raising activities on health care options, particularly for women. Through the digital tools, quality assurance mechanisms, and engagement and partnership with the private sector, the delivery and health information systems for primary health care will be upgraded.  

The programme is supported by a 2 million dollar technical assistance grant from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to provide support for programme implementation and coordination, capacity building, innovation, knowledge sharing and application of scalable best practices across the healthcare system. 

(With ANI Inputs)