Ayushman Bhavah campaign, a comprehensive nationwide healthcare initiative of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which aimed to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services to every village and town in the country was launched by President Droupadi Murmu and in Nagaland by Governor La Ganesan on September 13. The campaign will be implemented during the Seva Pakhwada from September 17 to October 2.
A press release from the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Principal Director Dr.Ritu Thurr, informed that the campaign, which is an umbrella initiative to enhance awareness about various health care schemes and to saturate critical health care services in rural and urban areas, involved a set of interventions such as Ayushman – Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Sabhas, Ayushman Melas, and also ensuring Gram/ Nagar Panchayat or Urban Ward to attain the status of Ayushman Panchayat or Ayushman Urban Ward in a saturation mode.
Schemes included Apke Dwar 3.0, for distribution of Ayushman cards to all remaining eligible beneficiaries under PM-JAY Scheme, with saturation mode from September 17, to ensure no eligible beneficiary was left behind.
Ayushman Mela: Starting from September 17, a weekly Health Melas will be held at the level of AB-HWCs mainly to focus on optimizing utilization of health care services and awareness generation. In addition to that, weekly Health Melas at the level of CHCs, will also be organized to ensure specialist services in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Surgery, ENT, Eye and Psychiatric etc.
Ayushman Sabha: A village level Sabha (Gram Sabha) for rural areas and ward sabha for urban areas led by Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC)/Urban Local Body to be held on October 2 to enhance awareness about various health care schemes and services including Ayushman cards, ABHA IDs, Sickle Cell Disease, Immunization, TB patient identification etc.
Ayushman Gram/Ward: On successful implementation of all the above initiatives under the campaign, Gram/ Nagar Panchayat will attain the status of “Ayushman Gram Panchayat or Ayushman Urban Ward” with saturation of selected health indicators, such as distribution of Ayushman Cards and creation of ABHA IDs, screening population for Hypertension & Diabetes, identification and treatment of TB patients and screening of Sickle cell disease and card distribution.
Besides, following activities cleanliness drive, organ donation pledge drive- awareness and motivation on the importance of organ donation, blood donation camp- awareness and mobilizing of voluntary blood donation, would also held at all public health care facilities including SHC-HWC, PHC-HWC, CHC, DH & Medical Colleges in rural and urban areas between September 17 to October 2.