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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated multiple projects amounting to more than Rs. 12,855 crore including projects worth more than Rs. 5,187 crore under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Rs. 5,502 crore under the ministry of health and family welfare, Rs. 1,641 crore under ESIC, and Rs. 525.14 crore under the Ministry of Ayush.
He was inaugurating the 9th Ayurveda Day at an event at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, unveiling a comprehensive five-pillar health policy focused on preventive care and accessibility, and launching expansion of health coverage under AB-PMJAY for citizens of and above 70 years, at a cost of Rs. 3,437 crore.
The government is committed to healthcare through five key pillars - preventive healthcare, early disease detection, affordable treatment and medications, increased doctor availability in smaller towns, and technological advancements in health services, he said.
The Prime Minister said that in the past decade, the country had witnessed the beginning of a new chapter in the health sector with the amalgamation of knowledge of Ayurveda with Modern medicine. He added that AIIA had been a focal point of this chapter. It would be possible to see the ancient techniques like Panchakarma infused with modern technology in this institute along with advanced research studies in the fields of Ayurveda and medical science.
Commenting on the development of healthcare infrastructure and manpower in the country, he said that the country has seen a record number of new AIIMs and medical colleges being established.
Modi informed that nearly 1 lakh new MBBS and MD seats have been added over the past 10 years and reiterated the commitment to announcing another 75,000 seats in the next five years.
The country has launched more than 14,000 Prime Minister Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country and the poor and middle class have managed to save Rs. 30,000 crore due to availability of cheap medicines. Prices of devices like stents and knee implants have been reduced, therefore, preventing a loss of more than Rs. 80,000 crore rupees by the common citizens.
The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of timely diagnosis in reducing the risks and inconveniences associated with illnesses.
“Free and accurate consultations from doctors have significantly reduced healthcare expenses”, said Modi announcing the launch of the U-win platform which will provide India with a technologically advanced interface in the health sector.
Projects initiated:
Under the DoP, five projects under production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for medical devices and bulk drugs was inaugurated at Vapi (Gujarat); Sultanpur, (Hyderabad); Bengaluru, (Karnataka); Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) and Nalagarh (Himachal Pradesh). These units will manufacture high-end medical devices, such as body implants and critical care equipment, along with important bulk drugs like penicillin-G and clavulanic acid. These initiatives support India's goal of reducing import dependence and enhancing local manufacturing capabilities in medical devices and bulk drugs.
Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of four Centres of Excellence at NIPER –Ahmedabad (Gujarat) for Medical Devices; NIPER Hyderabad (Telangana) for Bulk Drugs; NIPER, Guwahati (Assam) for Phytopharmaceuticals; and NIPER – Mohali (Punjab) for Anti-Bacterial Anti-Viral Drug Discovery and Development. The total outlay for the DoP projects is about Rs. 5,187 crore.
Various projects and facilities falling under the Union health ministry amounting to more than Rs. 1,133 crore were inaugurated by the Prime Minister during the event. These include three Medical Colleges at Mandsaur, Neemuch and Seoni in Madhya Pradesh; facility and service extensions at AIIMS in Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh); Kalyani (West Bengal), Patna (Bihar), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Guwahati (Assam), and New Delhi where a Jan Aushadhi Kendra was inaugurated; a Super Speciality Block in Government Medical Colleges at Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh); a Central Drugs Testing Laboratory (CDTL) in Gothapatna, Bhubaneswar, Odisha and a Critical Care Block in Bargarh, Odisha.
In addition, Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for various health infrastructure projects amounting to more than Rs. 925 crore. These include five Nursing Colleges in Madhya Pradesh (Shivpuri, Ratlam, Khandwa, Rajgarh, and Mandsaur); 21 Critical Care Blocks in states of Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur & Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan under PM-ABHIM; and several facilities and service extensions at AIIMS, New Delhi and AIIMS Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.
U-WIN portal, a Made-in-India digital platform was launched to benefit 2.9 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore infants annually by fully digitalizing the complete vaccination process. It will ensure the timely administration of life-saving vaccines to pregnant women and children (from birth to 16 years) against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases. Expansion of health coverage, under the flagship scheme AB PM-JAY, to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income, has been launched at a cost of Rs. 3,437 crore.
Prime Minister launched drone services at 11 Tertiary Care Institutions. These are AIIMS Rishikesh (Uttarakhand), AIIMS Bibinagar (Telangana), AIIMS Guwahati (Assam), AIIMS Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), AIIMS Jodhpur (Rajasthan), AIIMS Patna (Bihar), AIIMS Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh), AIIMS Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh, AIIMS Raipur (Chhattisgarh), RIMS Imphal (Manipur) and AIIMS Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh). A Helicopter Emergency Medical Services from AIIMS Rishikesh was also launched which will help to deliver speedy medical care by stabilizing and treating trauma victims during flight and onsite. It will cover Uttarakhand and nearby areas within 100 nautical miles.
In addition, Prime Minister launched a portal for Allied Healthcare professionals and institutes. This is a centralized database of existing Allied and Healthcare Professionals and institutes. Moreover, State specific Action Plan on Climate Change and Human Health (SAPCCHH) for each State and UT was also launched, which lays out adaptation strategies towards developing climate resilient healthcare services in these States/UTs.
The Prime Minister also launched several initiatives to strengthen the R&D and testing infrastructure to improve the healthcare ecosystem in the country. He inaugurated a Central Drugs Testing Laboratory in Gothapatna in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
He laid the foundation stone of two Central Research Institutes in Yoga and Naturopathy at Khordha in Odisha, Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
Under the Ministry of Ayush, Prime Minister inaugurated Phase II of the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), originally dedicated in 2017, which includes a 150-bedded Panchakarma hospital, an Ayurvedic pharmacy, a sports medicine unit, and extensive accommodation facilities, all at a cost of over Rs. 289 crore. He also laid the foundation for two Central Research Institutes in Yoga and Naturopathy in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and launched four Centers of Excellence focused on diabetes research, sustainable ayurvedic solutions, ayurvedic botanical research, and systems medicine for rheumatoid arthritis.
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