New Delhi: The government is constantly working to foster equality in healthcare services and make them affordable and accessible through initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday (January 8). He also emphasised that the government has taken several steps to boost health infrastructure in the country. In addition to reducing the cost of treatment for the poor, efforts are also being made to rapidly increase the number of doctors, Dr Mandaviya said. He further said,
The number of medical colleges have more than doubled in the last nine years. Similarly, the number of MBBS, PG and nursing seats have increased at an unprecedented rate in a span of less than 10 years.
Also Read: Revolutionising Healthcare And Empowering Patients With Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
Dr Mandaviya also virtually inaugurated the new hostel block of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Research and Dr RML Hospital, the sports injury centre of the Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital and the academic block and new hostel block of the Rajkumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing. The Union Health Health Minister said,
As current and future doctors, we must orient our approach of wellness towards deferring ailments and diseases and the integrative approach is going to play an important role in propagating wellness to keep ailments away.
Highlighting the government’s promise towards ensuring health for all, the health minister said that the health sector dynamics are changing rapidly in the country under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He further said,
Our goal is to work holistically in the health sector with synergy between preventive healthcare and modern medical facilities.
He also said,
The government is constantly working to foster equality in healthcare services, striving to make them affordable and accessible through initiatives like Ayushman Bharat.
On the government’s commitment and resolve to raise awareness and ensure delivery of healthcare services to the last person, Dr Mandaviya said,
Differing from other nations, India has a four-tier healthcare system that functions from grassroots to primary to secondary to tertiary wherein institutes such as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established across rural and urban areas.
They have several healthcare services and also serve to connect the under-served with secondary and tertiary level consultations at their respective locations, saving a patient’s time and money and providing services and care with ease at affordable rates, he said.
Also Read: All Districts Will Be Converted Into ‘Ayushman’ Districts: Union Health Minister
(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 in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. 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 a world post 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 well-being, 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.
