To move away from selective health care and toward a more comprehensive range of services covering preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care for all ages, the Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centers were introduced under the Ayushman Bharat Program. These centers were envisioned as the cornerstone of India’s healthcare system in the National Health Policy of 2017.
These government facilities offer various comprehensive health care services, including care for the elderly and palliative care, services for maternity and child health, services to address communicable and non-communicable diseases, and services for the elderly. The HWCs offer free access to essential medications, diagnostic tests, teleconsultation, and health promotion programs like yoga.
Based on the Task Force for Comprehensive Primary Health Care’s recommendations, this National Health Policy was introduced in 2017. It was promised by the government to allocate two-thirds of the budget to primary healthcare and approved the creation of Ayushman Bharat – Health & Wellness Centers (AB-HWCs).
Approval of HWC Portal
It was mentioned in the budget speech for FY 18–19. The AB-HWCs Programme is a collection of numerous reforms covering all facets of the healthcare system, including ownership and governance, service medications and diagnostics, and community involvement.
Under this program, the existing Sub Health Centers representing a population of 3,000–5,000 are being converted into Health and Wellness Centers to assure delivery of Comprehensive Primary Health Care. In both urban and rural locations, Primary Health Centers are also being transformed into HWCs.
Furthermore, a smooth continuum of care is made possible by adding CPHC to outreach programs, Mobile Medical Units, and home and community-based care, ensuring the Sub Health Centers’ guiding principles.
It would also be strengthened as an AB-HWC to provide a more comprehensive array of primary healthcare services. In some regions of the nation, evidence-based decision-making was limited. Maintaining the Sub Center/Urban Primary Health Center to deliver a greater variety of preventive, promotive, and curative care services, and thus the full range of primary care services was advocated by the National Health Mission in its Framework of Implementation 2012 document.
At the time, the primary care services mainly concentrated on mother and child health and a few infectious disorders like TB, leprosy, and malaria. A Task Force for the Implementation of Comprehensive Primary Health Care 2015 was established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in December 2014.
The mission of the HWC Portal
The Task Force recommended increased funding as well as the following crucial measures that are essential for operationalizing primary healthcare:
1. Increasing the range of services to be offered and ensuring continuity of care by putting the patient first
3. Measures to ensure the availability of the necessary human resources to deliver the expanded range of services 2. Reorganize the way service delivery institutions are organized 3.
4. Development of human resources
5. Trustworthy access to free essential medications and diagnostic services.
6. Using technology information
7. Steps to guarantee high standards of care
Processes for change management
9. The use of information and communication technologies to promote accountability, community partnerships, and health equity issues
Surveys in several regions of the country revealed that the burden of chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes) and the associated unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles were on the rise as agreement on these measures was being reached.
How to register for Ayushman Bharat Yojana?
Step 1: Visit https://pmjay.gov.in/, the government website for the PMJDY program, and click the “Am I Eligible” tab.
Step 2: Type in your contact details to generate an OTP.
Step 3 is to choose your state.
Step 4: Using your name, phone number, HHD number, or ration card number, search for yourself.
Step 5: The results will indicate your eligibility for the PMJDY program.
How to apply online for an Ayushman Bharat card?
Step 1: Visit the PMJDY website (https://mera.pmjay.gov.in/search/login) and log in using your registered cellphone number.
Enter the “Captcha Code to create the OTP” in step two.
Step 3. Choose the HHD code.
Step 4: Bring the HHD code to the Common Service Center (CSC) to be verified with other data.
Step 5: Ayushman Mitra, a CSC representative, will complete the remaining steps of the procedure.
Step 6: You must pay Rs. 30 to get the Ayushman Bharat card.
Ayushman Bharat Login
There are only five easy steps to the Ayushman Bharat PMJDY BIS web login procedure. Here are the guidelines:
Step 1: Visit the official BIS PMJDY website as your first step.
Step 2: Enter the captcha code on the screen to log in using your registered mobile number.
Select “Generate OTP” in step three. To the mobile number you have on file, an OTP will be issued.
Step 4: Enter the OTP to finish the login procedure.
Step 5: Depending on your preferences, you can choose from the following features after successfully logging in:
- Search for Beneficiaries Add a New Member
- Card Printing for Beneficiary Rejected Beneficiary Approved Beneficiary Awaiting (All States)
Key features of the HWC Portal
- To ensure that everyone has access to a wider variety of Comprehensive Primary Health Care services, convert current Sub Health Centers and Primary Health Centers to AB-HWCs. Through a process of population empanelment, regular home and community encounters, and people’s engagement, ensure a people-centered, holistic, equity-sensitive approach to people’s health needs.
- Delivering high-quality treatment that covers both health risks and illness problems will be made possible by expanding access to medications, diagnostics, Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs), referral processes, and cutting-edge technologies like IT systems, all while emphasizing wellness.
- Keep the mindset of a team-based approach to providing high-quality healthcare, including palliative, preventative, curative, and promotional care. A two-way referral mechanism between the AB-HWCs and the AB-PMJAY, as well as follow-up support, will guarantee continuity of care.
Key Components of the program Continuum of Care:
- Telehealth/ Referral Community
- Mobilization and Health Promotion Infrastructure
- Expanded Service delivery
- Expanding Medicines and Diagnostics –
- Point-of-care & new technologies
- Financing/ Provider Payment Reforms
- Partnership for Knowledge & Implementation
- Expanding HR – CHO &
- Multiskilling Robust IT system
- CPHC through HWC
The continuum of care will be ensured through referral to higher centers and reverse referral to AB-HWCs. Whenever patients come home after getting treatment from higher health care facilities, providing their day-to-day management, including compliance to advice and follow-ups, will be the responsibility of the AB-HWCs team.
