The unprecedented increase in allocation for health sector in this year’s Budget is indicative of the government’s commitment towards providing better health care to every citizen in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.

Explaining what the government has decided to do for the health care sector during the coming financial year, the Prime Minister said the plan is to treat health issues in a holistic manner rather than in compartments. A beginning was made towards this holistic approach by bringing in drinking water, sanitation as well as a part of nutrition initiatives under the health care fold.

“From medical equipment to medicines, from ventilators to vaccines, from scientific research to surveillance infrastructure, and from doctors to epidemiologists, we have to pay attention to all so that the country is better prepared for any health disaster in the future,” Modi said.

He said there is a need for working together on four fronts to keep India healthy.

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While the first front is to prevent illnesses and promote wellness among Indians, the second focus is on providing cheap and effective treatment to the poorest of the poor in the country. This is exactly what schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras are doing, Modi said.

The third front is to increase to the quantity and quality of health care infrastructure and health care professionals in the country. The fourth front is to work on mission mode to overcome problems. Mission Indradhanush – meant to ensure full immunisation with all available vaccines for children up to two years of age and pregnant women – has been extended to the tribal and far-flung areas of the country, Modi said.

Similarly, India, he said, has set a target of 2025 as against the world’s 2030 to eradicate tuberculosis. Since TB also spreads through droplets of infection person, wearing masks, early diagnosis and treatment are important in preventing TB, Modi said.

He said the world has keenly watched the ability that Indian health sector had shown in dealing with the Covid pandemic. Its reputation as well as trust in India’s health sector is at a new level all over the world, Modi observed.

The Prime Minister also stressed upon the role that private sector can play in health sector. According to him, it can support public private partnership models in creating a network of public health laboratories besides having a stake in PMJAY.

The private sector can support PPP models in creating a network of public health laboratories as well as a stake in Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. There could also be partnership between public private sectors in setting National Digital Health Mission, which is meant to create digital health records of citizens, he said.

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