G20HT 2023 INDIA

Government of India
Aradhana Patnaik, IAS
Joint Secretary Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi-110011

DO Z.28015/71/2019-NHM-I(P.II)
Dated the: 5th December, 2023

As you are aware, the Ayushman Bharat - Health & Wellness Centres (AB
HWC) now Ayushman Arogya Mandir have been at the forefront of providing
comprehensive primary health care for all people closer to their homes. Wellness
is one of the core tenets of these centres assuring the long overdue shift in
approach from illness to wellness. The promotive and preventive health
strategy recommended bythe National Health Policy 2017, is being translated
into ground reality through the Ayushman Arogya Mandir. The team of MOs,
CHOS, staff nurses, MPWs and ASHAs has been working tirelessly to make
wellness a people's movement and have successfully conducted nearly 2.74
crore wellness sessions at Ayushman Arogya mandirs since its inception till
30th November 2023.

Over time, it has been observed that wellness activities have been restricted only
to physical activities at the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs however; wellness in the
realm of healthcare extends to other dimensions as well. Holistic wellness
encompasses a multifaceted approach, including nutrition, physical activity,
stress management, prevention of substance abuse, mental health, preventive
healthcare, and the cultivation of positive lifestyle habits. Health professionals
should recognize that promoting wellness involves tailoring interventions to suit
individual needs and preferences, offering a wide array of strategies and
resources that can cater to the diverse aspects of an individual's health and
overall quality of life.
Wellness activities can be conducted at multiple levels beyond the Ayushman
Arogya Mandirs, like community level, schools and Anganwadi centres etc. The
Operational Guidelines for Wellness Interventions at AB-HWC (now
Ayushman Arogya mandir) issued on 11th December 2022, provide wellness
interventions that have been designed to cater to both rural and urban areas
focusing on a life- course approach which includes:

n Wellness interventions at the communitylevel:

Integrating wellness sessions into monthly VHSNCs /JAS meetings, group counseling
for Community-Based Organizations, integration of wellness in Health Calendar Days.
There should be special efforts to locate these in the most remote areas and amongst
the most vulnerable population.
i) Wellness interventions at Ayushman Arogya Mandir:
Weekly wellness clinics, ensuring wellness and health promotion through
physical activity workshops, sessions on AYUSH home

Tel:011-23063618, 23061097 E-mail : jsadmn-mohfw@gov.in

remedies, and counselling and cessation activities on substance abuse. These can
be combined with campaigns and camps such as Ayushman Bhay,
Viksit Bharat
Sankalp Yatra etc. Wellness activities can be planned on weekly calendar basis
specially suiting for young children, women and aged persons. The wellness clubs
already Conducting such camps may be motivated to align their activities through
AyushmanArogya Mandir.
i ) Wellness Interventions in schools and Anganwadi Centres:
Wellness promotion can be done by Ayushman Arogya Mandirs team through
convergence with Anganwadi centres and Schools by involving health &wellness
ambassadors, integration of wellness in RKSK by conducting sessions at
Adolescent friendly health clinics on reproductive health/ menstrual health etc,
awareness generation related to nutrition, deworming, hygiene etc. during
Screening campsby the RBSK team.
These guidelines are available on the website (link is provided in annexure)
however, to provide more clarity on wellness activities, this letter is being sent.
The Wellness activities can be focused on a range of themes such as Personal
Hygiene (including menstrual hygiene), Dietary diversity and Nutrition (including
anaemia), Substance Abuse: Tobacco, Alcohol and drugs, Mental Health (including
suicides, depression), Relationships, Physical activity, Meditation etc. (Refer to
Annexure 1and 2 for moreexamples and guidelines)
For organizing wellness sessions, an incentive of Rs. 2500/month/Ayushman Arogya
Mandirs for a minimum of at least ten wellness sessions in a month may be
proposed in their respective PIPs.This applies to both urban and rural centres.
For promotion and wider dissemination, the States/UTs are encouraged to report
the achievement & upload the pictures in the portal.Additionally, pictures may be
uploaded on social media handles by tagging Ministry's twitter handle
(@MoHFVW_India) and AB-HWC's twitter handle (@ayushmanhwcs).

You are therefore requested to share these guidelines to the field

functionaries so that adequate focus on the wellness activities may be done
through Ayushman Arogya Mandir in your State/UTs.
With regards,

(Yours sincerely)

(Aradhana Yatnaik)

To:

ACS/Pr Secretary/Secretary (Health) - All States/UTS

MD NHM -All States/UTs
Annexure 1:
Suggested list of Activities

S No Activity Focus Area

Activity 1 Yoga Competitions, Zumba, Health Talks by Physical Health
experts, Cyclothon, Walkathon, Running,
Aerobic, children specific games promoting
physicalstrengths (running, Kho Kho etc.)

Activity 2 Achieving dietary diversity through Nutrition

community kitchen/ kitchen gardens
cultivation, use of millets, Nutrition in
various age groups (childhood, adolescence,
old age) etc

Activity 3 Demonstration on brushing teeth Oral

correctly, Counselling on Hygiene, Oral

Activity 4 Eye exercises/ Counselling on reducing Eye & ENT

screen time, Games for specific age groups,
Music Therapy/ Counselling on
ear and throat care
Activity 5 Cultural events, inviting experts/ NGOs Mental Health
for sessions with respect to relevant
themes, sessions on stressmanagement
and handling examination anxiety

Activity 6 Stress management during emergencyand Emergency

primary trauma care

Activity 7 Outreach camps in underserved areas/ Elderly and

physiotherapy/ exercises for elderly Palliative Care

Activity 8 Activities to support infant, young child Infant and Child

feeding- demonstrating recipesfor Care
complementary/weaning food

Activity 9 Counselling on Importance of diet RMNCHA+

during pregnancy/ prevention of
anemia / IFA tablet distribution/training on
KMC, IYCF
Activity 10 Plays/Theatre on Healthy life style, Communicablediseases
Engaging local champions to share their
experiences, Mass Counsellingon “how to
prevent spreading of Communicable
diseases”, Preventionof Dengue/Malaria ,
Discussions withPatient Support Groups
(PSG) etc

Activity 11 Plays/Theatre on Healthy life style, NCDs and Obesity

Running, Engaging local champions of a
healthy lifestyle to share their experiences,
Cycling rallies and Discussions with
Patient Support Groups (PSG)

Activity 12 Talks on substance abuse- alcohol, tobacco, Substance Abuse

drug abuse etc, Awareness activities on Fit
India.

Activity 13 Talks on -Effective and positive parenting, Parenting, Early

Understanding Childhood Care and
development milestones in childrenetc. Development(ECCD)
Annexure 2:
The material / guidelines for supporting the wellness activitiesare
mentioned as follows:

S No Guideline Link
1 Operational Guidelines on Wellness Inter https://nhsrcindia.org/sites/
ventions for Ayushman Bharat Health an default/files/2023-02/OG%2
d Wellness Centres 0on%20Welness%20interve
ntions%20for%20ABHWC_e
ng_Final.pdf

2 Operational Guidelines on 12 Expanded https://nhsrcindia.org/practi ce-

Package of Services areas/cpc-phc/comprehe

nsive-primary-health-care
3 https://eatrightindia.gov.in/
Eat Right Handbook EatRightCampus/uploadPat
h/PDF/English%20Eat%20R
ight%20Handbook_ENGLIS H.pdf