Over 2,500 Hospitals To Be Built In Tier II, III Towns In Next Five Years: NITI Aayog

According to a Niti Aayog official, 2,500 more hospitals will be built in Tier II and Tier III towns across the country in the next five years, reports The New Indian Express (TNIE).

Chief of the country’s medical education regulator, Medical Council of India-Board of Governors and Niti Aayog member (health) Vinod Paul said that the surge in the construction of medical facilities in underserved regions would come on the back of an “industry-friendly” draft policy formulated by the government.

Since health is a state subject, the policy has asked state governments to ensure smooth and fast availability of land for opening of hospitals, and expedite grants of various clearances and permissions under different statutory provisions/departments with specified timelines.

This policy was drafted by the centre when it was realised that the existing health infrastructure in the country was not sufficient to effectively implement the ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The scheme, launched by the PM Modi on 23 September 2018, aims to provide healthcare insurance cover of upto Rs. 5 lakh per family to 10.74 crore families. The scheme would benefit approximately 55 crore people, making it the world’s largest government healthcare programme.