BHUBANESWAR: Union Health minister JP Nadda on Friday said every district in the country will have day care cancer centre within the next three years.
Inaugurating the 9th national summit on Good and Replicable Practices and Innovations in India’s Public Healthcare System at Puri, the Health minister said 200 districts will be covered under the scheme this year.
Stating that India has made significant strides in healthcare since 2014, he said the National Health Policy 2017 has brought about a paradigm shift in approach from curative healthcare to one that encompasses curative as well as preventive, promotive and comprehensive aspects. The government has given impetus to tertiary healthcare in addition to improving primary and secondary healthcare.
Nadda said the central government’s focus is on ensuring quality and affordable healthcare services for the people. Work done on Ayushman Arogya Mandir under NHM has strengthened the foundation of primary healthcare in the country.
He said the decline of maternal mortality rate (MMR) in India is double that of the global decline which highlights the efforts taken in strengthening healthcare system from the grassroot-level. The infant mortality rate (IMR) and under-5 mortality rate have also recorded a noteworthy downfall. He expressed special appreciation for Odisha on its success in reducing IMR and MMR.
The Union minister also highlighted that the WHO’s World Malaria Report 2024 acknowledged India’s significant reduction of malaria cases.
Similarly, India has also witnessed a noteworthy 17.7 per cent decline in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023, a rate that is over twice the global average decline of 8.3 per cent according to the WHO Global TB Report 2024, he added.
Acknowledging the importance of Jan Bhagidari for the success of any campaign, he credited the ASHA workers and other grassroot-level health workers for the achievements. He called for empowering panchayati raj institutions to further strengthen the healthcare base in the grassroots.
Attending the summit, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reiterated the commitment of the state government to build a healthier and more equitable future for all its citizens. Implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana alongside the Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana are a significant milestone in the state’s healthcare journey, he said.
Referring to the recent steps taken to strengthen healthcare system in the state, the chief minister said 5,337 healthcare personnel have already been appointed across Odisha and 5,000 vacancies in the post of doctors will be filled up soon. Two new medical colleges, four dental colleges and eight new nursing colleges are also in the offing. Besides, the state government will convert 7,358 urban and rural primary health centres and sub-centres into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, he said.
The chief minister reiterated the state government’s vision of a healthy Odisha is inspired by the famous Sanskrit verse, ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niramaya’ (May all be happy, may all be free from illness).
State Health minister Mukesh Mahaling, secretary in the ministry of Health and Family Welfare PS Srivastava, senior officers from the centre, states and Union Territories took part in the summit.