West Bengal will implement the National Health Mission (NHM) with financial support from the Centre, while more than 1.36 crore families in the state will be brought under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Saturday as he virtually inaugurated a new 100-bed ward at Kolkata's SSKM Hospital.

Addressing a health department programme, Adhikari said the Centre has sanctioned Rs 2,103 crore for the National Health Mission, of which Rs 527 crore has already been received.

"West Bengal will implement the National Health Mission. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 2,103 crore for the scheme, out of which we have already received Rs 527 crore. These funds will help improve healthcare delivery across the state," Adhikari said.

Highlighting the expansion of healthcare coverage, he said over 1.36 crore families would be covered under Ayushman Bharat.

"This will ensure that a large section of the population in the state receives quality healthcare support," he said.

"We are going to implement the National Health Mission. We are bringing 1 crore 36 lakh families under Ayushman Bharat. We will recruit more doctors, nurses, technical and non-technical staff," he said.

The chief minister also announced measures to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and monitoring mechanisms across the state.

"In SSKM Hospital, a 100-bedded ward has been opened. To address referral problems in hospitals, we have formed a dedicated team," he said.

He added that control rooms are being set up to oversee and monitor district hospitals across West Bengal.

Adhikari said the state had recently completed a large-scale vaccination campaign across government healthcare facilities.

"Today we started this vaccination drive in 235 hospitals, health centres, block hospitals and rural hospitals. The Union Health Ministry gave us 7,72,750 vaccine doses. Within three weeks, we have completed the drive," the Chief Minister said.

The CM also announced steps to improve access to affordable healthcare for economically weaker sections, particularly in private hospitals that had received government land at concessional rates.

"Those private hospitals who took land from the government at Re 1, we have ordered that 15 per cent of beds will be reserved for poor people," Adhikari stated.

Adhikari further said healthcare facilities across the state would be rebranded under a new identity.

"Our hospital name will be Ayushman Mandir," he said.

He also revealed that the government was working on identifying land for setting up an AIIMS-like institution in North Bengal.