Union Minister of Health Jagat Prakash Nadda arrived in Kolkata today to address a meeting with medical practitioners. Hundreds of doctors attended the conference as the Health Minister talked about the feats the Union government has achieved in the health sector over the last 11 years.
The program began with the felicitation of the guests and the screening of an audio-visual presentation on Dr. Kadambini Ganguly, the first female medical practitioner of India.
What did J.P. Nadda say at the meeting?
The Union Health Minister talked extensively about the various achievements and developmental projects brought about by the Narendra Modi government since 2014. "The foundation of Viksit Bharat is that we have a healthy India," J.P. Nadda said.
Nadda noted that earlier, India's health policy focused solely on the curative part, but now it is preventive, promotive, curative, palliative, rehabilitative, geriatric - all together. "We may see that the concentration of the health sector was on the curative side. In 2017, we introduced the Health Policy. This was different - as it was inclusive, comprehensive, and included all aspects of health," the Health Minister said.
He added, "We're now talking about one health approach. Environment, animals, and agriculture are all important factors. All sectors will have to come to one platform, to ensure holistic healthcare for everyone and everything."
Also Read | PM-Kisan Yojana 22nd instalment: Here’s a step-by-step guide for OTP e-KYC verification
Nadda highlights Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
The Union Health Minister talked about the importance of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs set up by the centre. "We have strengthened the primary healthcare, made it robust, along with the secondary and tertiary healthcare. The Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are the first point," Nadda said.
He added, "More than 40 crore people have been screened for oral cancer, and 20 crore women have been scanned for breast and cervical cancer."
Highlighting the importance of the U-WIN portal launched by the Ministry of Health, Nadda said, "Through the U-WIN portal, we give women vaccines till they turn 16, and everything is recorded in the portal. All local healthcare facilities and authorities are alerted if a person doesn't take their vaccines."
He added, "We have increased institutional deliveries by 10 per cent, from 79 per cent in 2014, to 89 per cent in 2020-21. Infant mortality has decreased drastically. Global decline in infant mortality is 11 per cent, while India's is 39 per cent."
J.P. Nadda asserted that India will be Kala Azar-free soon. He noted that only 0.7 per cent of global malaria cases are reported in India, and it has decreased by 80 per cent. He said that Tuberculosis has declined by 21 per cent, while globally the decline is 12 per cent, citing a 2025 WHO report.
Also Read | Renowned environmentalist and Western Ghats conservation architect Madhav Gadgil passes away at 83
On Ayushman Bharat and COVID pandemic
J.P. Nadda reminisced on how the Ayushman Bharat program was conceptualised. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed me to 'think big', and that's how Ayushman Bharat came into being. The people on the margins of society were provided a ₹5 lakh health coverage every year," Nadda said.
On India's COVID response, the Union Health Minister noted, "The nation was prepared for COVID within one month, with ICU beds, oxygen plants, ventilators. Then the lockdown was lifted. India had two vaccines within 9 months."
J.P. Nadda thanked all medical practitioners for their services and for putting their lives at stake to battle COVID.
