Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, dialysis care expand access to healthcare across India, govt tells Parliament

Over 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) and nearly 1,700 dialysis care centres are currently catering to the healthcare needs of citizens, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, stated in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The Health Ministry reported that a total of 1,78,154 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (formerly known as Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres) were functional across states and Union Territories as of July 15, according to records available on the government portal.

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Under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP), 1,704 dialysis centres were operational as of June 30. These centres are spread across all 36 states and Union Territories, covering 751 districts, the minister said.

Responding to a query about the cost of developing and maintaining public wellness centres, the minister stated that the project involves a budget of ₹17 lakh, covering both one-time and recurring expenditures.

The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare also highlighted that the government has recommended expanding kidney treatment facilities down to the taluka level to improve access to specialised care. Under the National Health Mission (NHM), states and Union Territories are empowered to provide dialysis services — including both haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis — even in remote and tribal areas, based on identified healthcare gaps.

Expanding on the services offered at the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the minister said the centres provide promotive, rehabilitative, and curative care across a wide range of health services, including communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and reproductive and child healthcare.

To reduce the cost of diagnostics and improve access to affordable testing, the ministry noted that the government launched the ‘Free Diagnostics Service Initiative’ a decade ago. Under this programme, 14 diagnostic tests are provided free of cost at Sub Centres and 63 at Primary Health Centres.