IndiaAndhra Pradesh gets 10 Critical Care Blocks and 12 public-health laboratories under a wider preparedness push
The facilities are part of PM-ABHIM, which is designed to improve both emergency critical care and early detection of disease threats.
THE INDIQA Research DeskPublished 14 Sept 2026Updated 14 Sept 20261 min read
The Union Health Ministry has inaugurated 10 Critical Care Blocks and 12 Integrated Public Health Laboratories in Andhra Pradesh under the broader PM-ABHIM health-infrastructure programme.
The facilities are spread across government medical colleges, district hospitals and area hospitals. The Health Ministry says PM-ABHIM has sanctioned 631 Critical Care Blocks nationwide to strengthen preparedness for future public-health emergencies.
The design reflects a post-pandemic lesson: health security requires both treatment capacity and surveillance capacity. Critical-care beds matter after a patient becomes severely ill, while public-health laboratories help detect threats earlier.
CIVIL SERVICES VIEWStudy this development
GS-IIPublic health infrastructure and pandemic preparednessPrelims: HighMains: HighCore
Why this matters
Ten Critical Care Blocks and 12 Integrated Public Health Laboratories were inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh.
Key facts
- PM-ABHIM focuses on strengthening health-system preparedness.
- Public-health laboratories support disease detection and surveillance.
Key terms
- PM-ABHIM
- Critical Care Block
- IPHL
- health security
- surveillance
Background and concepts
Ten Critical Care Blocks and 12 Integrated Public Health Laboratories were inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh.
Arguments, challenges and policy responses
- Health-system resilience
- Pandemic preparedness
- Centre-state health infrastructure
India’s context
The programme builds state-level capacity for both routine emergencies and future outbreaks.
Keep in mind
Critical-care capacity and public-health surveillance perform different but complementary roles.
Practice question
Why must public-health preparedness combine laboratory surveillance with hospital critical-care capacity?
Revision summary
- Pandemic preparedness
- Centre-state health infrastructure
- Public-health laboratories support disease detection and surveillance.
- Health-system resilience
- PM-ABHIM focuses on strengthening health-system preparedness.
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