VisionIAS Logo
Last Updated: 16 Oct 2025

Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (ABHIM)

Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (ABHIM) is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at strengthening India’s health systems, public health institutions, and disease surveillance to effectively respond to current and future pandemics while delivering comprehensive primary to tertiary care.

Quick facts:                                                                                   

  • Purpose: To establish a health system which will respond effectively to the future pandemics/disasters.
  • Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Some Central Sector Components.
  • Focus: Developing capacities of health systems and institutions across the continuum of care at all levels viz. primary, secondary and tertiary. 
  • Tenure: 6 years from 2021 to 2026.

Objectives

  • To strengthen grass root public health institutions to deliver universal Comprehensive Primary Health Care. 
  • Strengthen public health institutions to meet challenges posed by the current and future pandemics/epidemic. 
  • To expand and build an IT enabled disease surveillance system for effectively detecting, investigating, preventing and combating Public Health Emergencies and Disease Outbreaks.
  • To support research on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases and to develop core capacity to deliver the One Health Approach.

Salient features 

  • Background:  Announced in, 2021 as 'Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana' (PMASBY) scheme with an outlay of about Rs. 64,180 Cr over six years (till FY 25-26). 
    • This scheme is in addition to the National Health Mission.
  • Centrally Sponsored Scheme Components
    • 'Ayushman Arogya in rural areas: support for infrastructure development is proposed in 7 High Focus States (Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP and WB) and 3 North Eastern States (Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya).
    • 'Ayushman Arogya Mandir' in Urban areas: Support for 11044 Urban Health & Wellness Centres across the country is proposed under this component.
    • Block Public Health Units: Support for 3382 BPHUs in 11 High Focus States/ UTs (Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, UT - Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand)
      • For the remaining States, the support for establishing BPHUs is being provided under FC-XV Health Grants through Local Governments.  
      • For the UTs, the proposed District Integrated Public Health Labs under the PM ABHIM at the Districts will be catering the needs of the Blocks in the UTs.
    • Integrated District Public Health Laboratories in all districts.
    • Critical Care Hospital Blocks in all districts with a population more than 5 lakhs, in state government medical colleges / District Hospitals.
  • Central Sector Components
    • Critical Care Hospital Blocks in 12 Central Institutions.
    • Strengthening Disaster and Epidemic Preparedness: Support for 15 Health Emergency Operation Centres & 2 Container based mobile hospitals.
    • Strengthening surveillance of infectious diseases and outbreak response: Support for 20 Metropolitan Surveillance Units, 5 Regional NCDCs and implementation of IHIP in all states.
    • Strengthening surveillance capacities at Points of Entry: Support for 17 new Points of Entry Health Units and Strengthening of 33 existing Units.
    • Bio-security preparedness and strengthening Pandemic Research and Multi Sector, National Institutions and Platforms for One Health:  Support for setting up of a National Institution for One Health, a Regional Research Platform for WHO South East Asia Region, 9 Bio-Safety Level III Laboratories and 4 new Regional National Institutes of Virology (NIVs).
Subscribe for Premium Features

Quick Start

Use our Quick Start guide to learn about everything this platform can do for you.
Get Started