A BSTRACT Context: Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) are pivotal to strengthening primary healthcare and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in India. Evaluating their implementation in rural settings is essential to improve service delivery. Aims: This study assesses the implementation status and health outcomes of AB-HWCs in rural Lucknow using the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) framework. Subject and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted across 16 AB-HWCs in four randomly selected Community Development Blocks (CDBs) in rural Lucknow. Data were collected using observational checklists and structured questionnaires focusing on infrastructure, diagnostic services, and healthcare delivery. Health outcomes were compared between HWC and non-HWC villages using key indicators related to maternal and child health, chronic disease screening, and preventive oncology. A total of 223 households were selected through multistage random sampling, targeting women aged 15–49 years with children under five. Results: Infrastructure readiness was moderate for outpatient care (68.75%) and medicine dispensing (43.75%) but critically low for diagnostic spaces (6.25%) and waste management (18.75%). Diagnostic readiness was better for diabetes (75%) and urine screening (81.25%) than for vector-borne diseases (56.25%). HWC villages showed significantly better maternal health indicators and chronic disease screenings. However, preventive oncology services were severely lacking. Conclusions: The PDCA framework identified strong performance in maternal care and chronic disease screening but revealed critical gaps in infrastructure and preventive services. Strengthening infrastructure, diagnostics, and cancer screening programs is essential for improving AB-HWC outcomes.
Kumar et al. (Sun,) studied this question.