New Delhi: It is due to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that health has been linked with development in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday underlining that the country’s healthcare sector has immense investment opportunities.
Addressing the inaugural session of CII Asia Health 2021 Summit, Mandaviya urged the private sector to invest in the Indian healthcare sector, saying the country has the potential to become a hub of international health tourism.
“Earlier health meant only treatment but development has now been linked to health. Only a healthy society can become a prosperous country and this is Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s primary thinking,” he said. The theme of the summit is ‘transforming healthcare for a better tomorrow’.
Emphasising that preventive care is an essential component of the health sector, he said that initiatives such as Khelo India and yoga play a vital role in realising the aim of a healthy society.
The minister said the government is committed to access, affordability, accountability, adoption and awareness for a better future of healthcare sector and has been working diligently to achieve these objectives.
He said the Indian health sector has immense investment opportunities.
He mentioned that the government has launched various schemes such as health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana, Ayushman Health and Wellness Centres, Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) for generic medicines, and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission to make healthcare accessible and affordable.
The government is focusing on the theme of ‘From Token to Total Health’, he added.
PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, which was launched on October 25 by Modi, is another such initiative, Mandaviya said.
It will help in strengthening the healthcare infrastructure of the country, he said.
Highlighting the need to link technology and healthcare, the minister mentioned that there is a need to adopt latest technologies like nano and robotic technologies in the health sector. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is one such initiative that will utilise the digital ecosystem to further ease of living, he said.
Speaking on the importance of creating awareness, the minister highlighted the successful initiatives taken by the prime minister during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase public awareness.
He mentioned how campaigns like ‘Dawai bhi Kadai Bhi’ and ‘Do Gaj ki Doori, Mask hai Zaruri’ reached out to masses and helped curb the COVID-19 infection in the country. Similarly, awareness plays a vital role in the successful implementation of campaigns against tuberculosis (TB), AIDS, etc., he said.