Healthcare Infrastructure is a comprehensive concept that includes all physical facilities, medical personnel, equipment, and logistical systems necessary for the delivery of healthcare services in India. This system is broadly categorised into public and private sectors.
The foundation for modern Indian healthcare infrastructure was laid by the Health Survey and Development Committee, known as the Bhore Committee, which submitted its report in 1946. The problem it sought to solve was the woefully inadequate and urban-centric health system inherited from the colonial era. The committee's blueprint recommended a three-tier structure: a network of Primary Health Centres (PHCs), secondary centres, and district hospitals.
The public system operates through this three-tier mechanism: Sub-Centres and PHCs at the village level, Community Health Centres (CHCs) at the block level, and District Hospitals (DHs). The mechanism is driven by schemes like the National Health Mission (NHM), launched in 2013, which aims to strengthen primary care infrastructure. A key component is the Ayushman Bharat scheme, launched in 2018, which includes the creation of Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), providing an insurance cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation.
This infrastructure connects directly to the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, which aims to increase public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP. It is also linked to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which is creating a digital backbone for health records.
The infrastructure has seen significant recent change with the launch of the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) in 2021, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with an outlay of ₹64,180 crore over six years to strengthen all three levels of care. Furthermore, the notification of the National Building Construction Standards (NBCS) 2026 has eased height restrictions for hospitals, permitting vertical expansion and allowing Intensive Care Units (ICUs) above 45 metres with enhanced fire safety provisions.