Govt Expands 24x7 PHCs, FRUs to Boost Rural Healthcare Access

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) In a bid to boost emergency health services, the Union Government has established 24x7 primary health centres (PHCs) and first referral units (FRUs) across the country.

Under the National Health Mission (NHM), 12,348 PHCs have been converted to 24x7 services and 3,133 FRUs have been made operational till March last year. In addition, the fleet of mobile medical units (MMUs) was expanded, with 1,424 MMUs now operating to ensure healthcare access in remote and underserved areas.

The introduction of the MMU Portal in 2023 further strengthened monitoring and data collection on health indicators for vulnerable tribal groups. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was apprised of the progress made under the NHM during the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. As per the health ministry data, more than 31,000 PHCs are operational in the country, employing over 40,000 doctors/medical officers to provide primary care to people in rural and hilly, tribal, and desert areas.

“Making the PHCs functional 24x7 was a great move as it would help people, especially those living in rural areas, access emergency health services promptly,” said Dr Vinay Agarwal, former President of the Indian Medical Association, during a briefing to the media about the meeting.

“For example, in the case of snakebite, deaths occur mostly because the patient can’t reach the hospital in time. If medical intervention can be assured locally, at PHCs, it will help save many lives. Similarly, for maternal and child health, such a service is going to be a big boon,” Agarwal said.

He also emphasised the need to maintain such facilities well, with manpower, medicines, and other key equipment. Another key achievement of the NHM was an increase in healthcare infrastructure. “In the financial year 2021-22, NHM facilitated the engagement of 2.69 lakh additional healthcare workers, including general duty medical officers, specialists, staff nurses, ANMs, AYUSH doctors, allied healthcare workers, and public health managers.”

“Additionally, the number of operational Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) centers, which provide a range of healthcare services, has increased to 1,72,148 by the end of FY 2023-24, with 1,34,650 of these centers offering 12 key healthcare services,” the data showed.