By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, SEPT 03, 2018: India has fast-tracked many initiatives aimed at achieving all the core tenets of Universal Health Coverage i.e, strengthening health systems, improving access to free medicines & diagnostics and reducing catastrophic healthcare spending.” This was stated by Mr J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare at the inauguration of  the ‘71st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia,' here today.

Mr J P Nadda further stated that India on its part firmly believes in the objective of attainment of the highest possible level of health, where health is a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. “Moving toward this objective, we have adopted the National Health Policy 2017 with the aim to provide affordable healthcare for all,” Mr Nadda added.

Reiterating the commitment of the Government, Mr Nadda stated that India has recently launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya scheme under the ambitious programme called 'Ayushman Bharat' i.e. Long live India, one of the central pillars of this year's budget.  He further said that ‘Ayushman Bharat' rests on the twin pillars of Health and Wellness Centres for provision of comprehensive primary healthcare services and the Prime Minister's National Health Protection Mission for secondary and tertiary care to 100 million families. “Under the first pillar of Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana, we are reaching, out to approximately 40% of country's population roughly covering 500 million individuals, who will be provided an insurance cover of 500 thousand Indian rupees to cover secondary and tertiary health-care. Initially spanning almost 1300 procedures under 20 different specialties, this will be the largest government funded health protection scheme in the world,” the Health Minister elaborated.He added that under the second pillar, one hundred & fifty thousand health and wellness centres would ‘bring healthcare closer to people, so that every Indian can have timely access to health care, including diagnostic services and free essential drugs. Mr Nadda further stated that the Health Ministry is working very hard for effective implementation of “Ayushman Bharat” for a healthy, productive and prosperous India.