Aiming a holistic and integrated approach from Prevention to Cure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, February 23, said that the Government was working with a four-pronged strategy towards a healthy India.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the budget allocation to health sector in this year’s budget was unprecedented. It showed the Government’s commitment to provide better health care to every citizen. He said this while addressing a webinar on effective implementation of Budget provisions in the Health sector.
FOUR POINT PLAN
On the four-point action plan, Modi said the first is “Prevention of illness and Promotion of Wellness”. Measures such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, yoga, timely care and treatment of pregnant women and children are part of it. The second is to “provide cheap and effective treatment to the poorest of the poor”. Schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras are working towards the same. The third is to “increase the quality of health infrastructure and health care professionals”. The fourth is “to work on mission mode to overcome obstacles”.
COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND CHALLENGES
In his address, Modi recalled how 2020 was very challenging due to the Covid 19 pandemic. He also expressed happiness for overcoming the challenge and credited the achievement to the combined efforts of the government and private sector. “Covid 19 taught us a lesson that we not only have to fight the epidemic today but also to prepare the country for any such situation in future. Therefore, it is equally necessary to strengthen every field related to healthcare,” he said
The Prime Minister mentioned that everything should get the focus, from scientific research to surveillance infrastructure; from doctors to epidemiologists; from medical equipment to medicines; and from ventilators to vaccines. This helps the country to better prepare for any health disaster in future, he added.
WORLD APPRECIATION
Modi said the world appreciated the strength and resilience shown by the Health Sector in the country owing to its demonstration of its experience and talent during the Corona Pandemic. “The prestige and trust towards the country’s health sector has increased manifold all over the world. Now the country has to work towards the future while keeping this in mind,” he said. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the world’s attention would definitely shift towards India’s Medical Education System. There would be a huge influx of foreign students to study medicine in the country, he hoped. Modi also asked the participants if India could dream of providing all the necessary medical equipment to the World in a cost effective manner. “Can we focus on how to make India a global supplier in an affordable and sustainable manner with user friendly technology,” he asked.
AYUSH
With respect to Ayush, he said Ayush’s infrastructure helped a great deal with respect to increasing immunity and scientific research. He said the world experienced the impact of traditional medicines in improving the health along with the vaccine in controlling COVID-19. He announced that WHO is going to establish a Global Center of Traditional Medicine in India.
