COVID-19 Pandemic Highlighted Health Infrastructural Gaps In India And Measures To Bridge Them: Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

Raipur: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday (July 6) said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in the country’s health infrastructure and measures which could be taken to bridge them. Mr Mandaviya said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to set up a critical care unit in every district of the country with an expenditure of Rs 64,000 crore under National Health Infrastructure Mission. He was talking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of a ‘Critical Care Health Block’ at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur.

Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country is changing and marching ahead. A lot of changes have been taking place in the health sector as well, Mr Mandaviya said.

Also Read: Campaign For Elimination Of Sickle Cell Anaemia Will Become Key Mission Of Amrit Kaal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

He said,

We learnt a lot of things during COVID-19. The pandemic highlighted infrastructural gaps in the health sector of the country and how they can be bridged. Then, Modi ji decided that under the National Health Infrastructure Mission, a critical care unit will be started in every district of the country with an expenditure of Rs 64,000 crore.

He said the critical care unit at the AIIMS in Raipur will be set up at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

The unit will have more than 100 beds, oxygen and ventilator facilities, he said, adding such facilities will help during emergency as well as normal situations.

Mr Mandaviya said more than 1,60,000 health and wellness centres are working in the country in the primary health care sector while for the secondary care, the work of setting up medical colleges in district hospitals is underway at a rapid pace.

As far as tertiary care is concerned, today the work of setting up of 16 AIIMS has been completed in the country. Overall, 22 (new) AIIMS are being set up in the country, he said.

The aim is to invest an average Rs 100 crore in each of the 750 districts in the next four years under the National Health Infrastructure Mission, the minister said.

He interacted with the faculty and students of the AIIMS Raipur and encouraged them to focus on research and innovation in the health sector.

Also Read: Big Plan Laid Out To Eliminate Sickle Cell Disease Under PM Modi’s Leadership: Union Health Minister Mandaviya

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.