It’s my conviction to bring NE at par with the other developed regions of the country : PM Modi
Some of the most important basic human needs for the citizens of any civilized society are food and nutrition, water and sanitation, housing, health care facilities, and education. The North Eastern Region of India, because of its geographical location, difficult terrain, high rainfall, vast hilly region, large forest areas and large number of ethnic groups, is not a very homogenous territory for easily providing normal health care services round the clock to all people of the region. However, in the last few years, large-scale development in the healthcare and medical sector has taken place in the North East due to the sustained efforts of the Government of India.
Ayushman Bharat
1. AYUSHMAN BHARAT – HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTRES (AB-HWCS)[2]
The Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) mark an attempt to move from a selective healthcare approach to a more comprehensive range of services, comprising preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care for all ages.
In February 2018, the Government announced the transformation of 1.5 lakh Sub-Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the country into Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) by December, 2022.[3] These HWCs will bring health care systems closer to the homes of the people by providing comprehensive health care, including non-communicable diseases and maternal and child health services, as well as free essential drugs and diagnostic services.
Progress in Establishment of AB-HWCs in North-East India (as on June 01, 2023)[4]
AB-HWCs in the North East at a Glance
A total of 7,588 Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) have been set up in the North Eastern States (as on February 28, 2023).
| S. No. | State | Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 346 | |
| Assam | 4,427 | |
| Manipur | 404 | |
| Meghalaya | 465 | |
| Mizoram | 370 | |
| Nagaland | 382 | |
| Sikkim | 167 | |
| Tripura | 1,027 | |
| Total | 7,588 | |
2. AYUSHMAN BHARAT – PRADHAN MANTRI JAN AROGYA YOJANA (AB-PMJAY)[5]
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), launched in 2018 as one of the pillars under Ayushman Bharat, is the world’s largest health insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the government.
It provides financial protection (Swasthya Suraksha) to 10.74 crore poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational categories of urban workers’ families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data (approx. 50 crore beneficiaries). It offers a benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year (on a family floater basis).
As on June 01, 2023, over 17.77 lakh beneficiarieshave availed of free treatment under the scheme amounting to over Rs. 2125 crores in theNorth Eastern States. Further, over 1.97 crore Ayushman Cards have been created.
| S. No. | State | Ayushman Cards Created | No of authorized Hospital Admissions under AB-PMJAY | Free Treatment (In Rs. Crore) |
| 1. | Arunachal Pradesh | 91476 | 3318 | 6 |
| 2. | Assam | 15020148 | 688615 | 1076 |
| 3. | Manipur | 487884 | 99611 | 132 |
| 4. | Meghalaya | 1799726 | 611928 | 524 |
| 5. | Mizoram | 436654 | 93943 | 108 |
| 6. | Nagaland | 540156 | 40251 | 73 |
| 7. | Sikkim | 53975 | 12175 | 11 |
| 8. | Tripura | 1323037 | 227699 | 195 |
| Total | 1,97,53,056 | 17,77,540 | 2125 | |
3. Ayushman Bharat – Digital Mission[6]
Ayushman Bharat – Digital Mission was launched on September 27, 2021. The objective of the scheme is to create a seamless online platform that will enable interoperability within the digital healthcare ecosystem. Under the ABDM, citizens will be able to create their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) numbers, to which their digital health records can be linked. This will enable the creation of health records for individuals across various healthcare providers, and improve clinical decision-making by healthcare providers.
As on June 01, 2023, aover 1.82 Crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created in the North Eastern States.
| S. No. | State | No. of ABHA created |
| 1. | Arunachal Pradesh | 2,21,809 |
| 2. | Assam | 1,55,34,012 |
| 3. | Manipur | 5,23,690 |
| 4. | Meghalaya | 3,01,486 |
| 5. | Mizoram | 3,58,794 |
| 6. | Nagaland | 4,83,305 |
| 7. | Sikkim | 3,25,471 |
| 8. | Tripura | 4,94,330 |
| Total | 1,82,42,897 | |
4. PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission[7]
The PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission was launched on October 25, 2021 with an outlay of Rs. 64,180 Cr for the period of 2021-22 to 2025-26. The objective of the scheme is to strengthen the public health infrastructure. It envisages a new generation of reforms to integrate and strengthen health service delivery and public health action including health research so that the communities are Atmanirbhar in managing such pandemics or health crisis.
As on March 17, 2022, a total of Rs. 73.51 crore[8] has been allocated under PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission during FY 2021-22 to the North Eastern states.
| S. No. | State | Allocation (In Rs. Crore) |
| 1. | Arunachal Pradesh | 0.56 |
| 2. | Assam | 57.90 |
| 3. | Manipur | 4.56 |
| 4. | Meghalaya | 9.65 |
| 5. | Mizoram | 0.28 |
| 6. | Nagaland | 0.28 |
| 7. | Sikkim | 0.00 |
| 8. | Tripura | 0.28 |
| Total | 73.51 | |
North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme
North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS)[9] was approved by the Government of India as a new Central Sector Scheme on 15.12.2017. Under the Scheme guidelines of NESIDS, 100% centrally funding is provided to the State Governments of North Eastern Region for the projects of physical infrastructure relating to water supply, power and connectivity enhancing tourism and social infrastructure relating to primary and secondary sectors of education and health.
A total of 36 projects worth Rs. 621 crores have been sanctioned under North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) in the health sector.
Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR)
The Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR)[10] Scheme came into existence in 1998 under then Planning Commission. Subsequently, it was transferred to DoNER in 2001. The objective of NLCPR Scheme is to fill the gap in infrastructure sector of the North Eastern Region through sanctioning the projects prioritized by the State Governments. A total of 56 projects of Health sector costing ₹873.37 crore has been sanctioned under this scheme.
Major plans for Boosting AYUSH Initiatives in Northeast
In a major boost to promote traditional medicinal practices in the North East, a number of major initiatives were announced on 28 August, 2021 by the Union Minister of AYUSH, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. The major initiatives are as follows:
- 1000 Health & Wellness Centres (HWC) and 100 new AYUSH dispensaries to be opened in the North Eastern states for growth and development of AYUSH schemes
- Rs 70 Crores financial provision for a new Ayurvedic College at Dudhnoi in Goalpara, Assam
- Financial grant of Rs 10 Crores for Ayurvedic College, Guwahati, Assam to be developed as Centre of Excellence
- A facilitation Centre for Semi Processing of raw material to be opened up in NE.
- Setting up of a Regional Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) in NE states in collaboration with National Institute of Bio-Resources and Sustainable Development in Imphal, Manipur under Department of Bio-Technology.
- The AYUSH medical facilities under North-Eastern State Governments, Central Government and teaching hospitals in AYUSH colleges will be brought under Ayush Health Management Information System (AHMIS)[11] so as to develop digital data base of AYUSH interventions in various disease management.
All of these initiatives will be undertaken under the Central Sector Scheme run by the National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH.
Combating COVID-19 Pandemic in the North East
- To mitigate the difficulties of people in the NE, the Ministry of DoNER/ NEC sanctioned untied funds amounting to Rs. 26.09 crore to combat COVID-19 pandemic.
- Projects worth Rs. 36.50 crore have also been sanctioned to North Eastern Region States for livelihood generation for returnee migrant workers due to COVID-19.
- 11 projects amounting to Rs. 313.98 crore have been sanctioned by the Ministry of DoNER under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) for strengthening health infrastructure of North Eastern States, especially for fighting COVID-19 pandemic.
- During 2020-21, Rs. 322.89 crore was released to the North Eastern States towards the India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Packages through National Health Mission (NHM).
- During 2019-20, an amount of Rs. 111.34 crore was released to North Eastern States under National Health Mission.
- For the containment measures allowed under SDRF, State Government were allowed to spend up to 35% of the annual allocation of SDRF during the financial year 2019-20. The ceiling of 35% was further enhanced to 50% during the financial year 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Recent Initiatives for Medical Infrastructure in the North East
1. PM-DevINE Scheme[12]
The Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North-East, PM-DevINE[13] was announced by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs while presenting the Union Budget 2022-23. The Scheme with 100% Central funding, will have a total outlay of ₹ 6,600 crore for the 4-year period from 2022-23 to 2025-26. One of the major projects identified under this scheme is the “Establishment of Dedicated Services for the Management of Paediatric and Adult Haematolymphoid Cancers in North-East India”, to be located at Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) Guwahati at an estimated cost of Rs 129 crore. This initiative is expected to give a huge boost to cancer care in the region given that in the last 11 years, 3,855 childhood and adult Haematolymphoid cancer patients reported to BBCI for treatment.
2. Prime Minister dedicated to the nation seven cancer hospitals in Assam
Assam Cancer Care Foundation, a joint venture of Government of Assam and Tata Trusts, is executing a project to build South Asia’s largest affordable cancer care network with 17 cancer care hospitals spread across the state. Under the Phase 1 of the project, out of 10 hospitals, the construction of seven hospitals have been completed while three hospitals are at various level of construction.
These cancer Hospitals are built at Dibrugarh, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Darrang, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, and Jorhat. Phase 2 of the project will witness construction of seven new cancer hospitals at Dhubri, Nalbari, Goalpara, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Golaghat. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation seven cancer hospitals in Assam at a function in Dibrugarh on 28 April, 2022[14]. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of seven new cancer hospitals to be constructed under phase 2 of the project.
3. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Guwahati
The Prime Minister dedicated AIIMS Guwahati to the nation on April 14, 2023. The operationalization of AIIMS, Guwahati will mark a momentous occasion for the state of Assam and the entire North-East region. This is also a testimony of the Prime Minister’s commitment to strengthening health infrastructure across the country. The foundation stone of this hospital was also laid by the Prime Minister in May 2017. Built at a cost of more than Rs. 1120 crores, AIIMS Guwahati is a state-of-the-art hospital with a capacity of 750 beds including 30 AYUSH beds. This hospital will have an annual intake capacity of 100 MBBS students every year along with providing world-class health facilities to the people of the Northeast.