Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana: Cabinet approves setting up of 20 AIIMS

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved plan to set up 20 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across the country and upgrade 73 medical colleges. The decisions are part of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), which has been extended by two years till 2020 with financial outlay of Rs.14,832 crore.

Key Facts

The decision to extend PMSSY is aimed at meeting shortfall in healthcare professionals and facilities across the country. Setting up of new AIIMS in various states under PMSSY will transform health education and training and also help to address shortfall of healthcare professionals. It will lead to employment generation for nearly 3,000 people in various faculty and non-faculty posts in each of AIIMS. Six of 20 AIIMS have already been established. The construction of new AIIMS will be fully funded by Central government and it will also bear operations and maintenance expenses of these facilities.

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)

PMSSY was announced in 2003. Its objectives are correcting regional imbalances in availability of affordable and reliable tertiary healthcare services and augment facilities for quality medical education in the country. It establishes AIIMS in various regions of India apart from different government colleges. It is funded from different centrally sponsored schemes relating to creating infrastructure on health.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2018