Providing affordable medical facilities to people living in rural areas

Need to provide affordable medical facilities to people living in rural areas Vice President

Question: ‘Ayushman Bharat’ aims to build how many healthcare and wellness centres that provides insurance coverage and comprehensive medical facilities to people living in rural areas?
(a) 1,50,000
(b) 2,00,000
(c) 3,00,000
(d) 50,000
Answer: (a)
Related facts:

  • With an objective of medical security to people, ‘Ayushman Bharat’ aims to provide insurance coverage and comprehensive, need-based healthcare through 1,50,000 health and wellness centre to 10 crore poor and vulnerable families.
  • To improve life expectancy, reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and improve quality of life, adequate healthcare & wellness centres need to be set up all over the country. Emphasizing in this regard Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also mentioned that a healthy mind flourishes in a healthy body.
  • The doctor patient ratio is less than 1:1000 as per the norms prescribed by the WHO which is one of the major challenges faced by medical institutions with primary challenges being a double burden of diseases-infectious ailments as well as an increased incidence in life style diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and cancers.
  • As per The Lancet Global Health, Cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and diabetes kill around 4 million Indians annually (as in 2016). It is estimated that 62 per cent deaths among men and 52 per cent among women are due to non-communicable diseases.

Links:
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=187198
http://www.vartamitra.com/2019/01/05/venkaiah-seeks-affordable-medical-facilities-to-rural-people/27117/