Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the country will have 40,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), meant for primary health care, by the end of 2019-20.

The Union Minister said more than 19,000 AB-HWCs are at present operating in the country. “The target for operationalising AB-HWCs by the end of 2019-20 is 40,000. Out of these, as reported by the States and Union Territories, 19,567 AB-HWCs have been operationalised till July 5, 2019,” the Minister told the Upper House. The Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres are supported by the government for strengthening primary health centres in the States for promotive and preventive health care. On the number of hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), another component of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the Minister replied that as on July 11, there are over 15,000 hospitals under the scheme.