Maharashtra Launches Ayushman Bhava Campaign to Enhance Child Healthcare

In a significant move to bolster child healthcare, the Maharashtra health department has rolled out the Ayushman Bhava campaign, aimed at screening children aged 0-18 across all districts. The campaign, which commenced on September 1 and will run until December 31, intends to provide comprehensive medical assessments to children, offering 32 essential tests entirely free of charge.

Program Implementation

An exclusive report in the Free Press Journal mentioned that under the Ayushman Bhava campaign, the health department has issued clear directives to district health officers to ensure the effective implementation of various program activities. These activities include Ayushman Apke Dwar, Ayushman Sabha, Ayushman Mela, school children screenings, and Ayushman Gram. The department has already initiated workshops and training sessions for healthcare workers to kickstart the campaign's implementation, with district health officers tasked with overseeing the seamless execution of these initiatives.

Mass Distribution and Public Awareness

The Ayushman Aya Dari initiative has made impressive strides, with over 25 crore Ayushman cards distributed across the country to date. This widespread distribution aims to facilitate easier access to healthcare services for citizens, ensuring that individuals are aware of the healthcare resources available to them. One of the core objectives of the Ayushman Bhava campaign is to raise public awareness about healthcare facilities and resources. Ayushman Sabha activities, held at the village level, aim to inform communities about health, hygiene, and nutrition. Additionally, these activities seek to educate the public about non-communicable diseases (NCDs), sickle cell disease, immunization, tuberculosis, and other critical health concerns.

Child Health Check-Ups

Health experts from the city emphasized the importance of child health by announcing a dedicated campaign to conduct health check-ups for children aged 0-18. These check-ups will occur in Anganwadis and primary schools, where children will be screened for birth defects, developmental delays, deficiencies, and diseases.

Key Components of the Campaign

The Ayushman Bhava campaign is structured around three main components. Firstly, the Ayushman Apke Dwar component focuses on registering eligible families for the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and issuing health cards to these families under the scheme, thereby ensuring that vulnerable families have access to essential healthcare services. 

Secondly, the Ayushman Sabha aspect extends the campaign's reach to villages, conducting awareness activities covering various health-related topics, including health, hygiene, nutrition, NCD screening services, sickle cell disease, immunization, tuberculosis, and more, at the district level. Lastly, Ayushman Mela (Health Camp) is organized on Saturdays and Sundays to enhance accessibility, making healthcare services more convenient for the public.