Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, declared that India is rapidly becoming the world’s preferred cost-effective healthcare destination. He emphasized India’s remarkable strides in the areas of Preventive Healthcare and Integrated Healthcare, positioning the country at the forefront of the global healthcare landscape.
Speaking at the Annual Conference of the Indian Academy of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery organized by Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital at Convention Centre, Jammu, Dr. Jitendra Singh praised the transformative impact of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for conceiving the world’s best health insurance scheme, which uniquely provides coverage for pre-existing conditions, a feature unparalleled in health insurance schemes worldwide. This provision enables individuals even with pre-diagnosed illnesses, such as cancer, to obtain insurance and receive financial support for their treatments.
Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted India’s shift from a sectoral and segmented approach to a comprehensive, need-based healthcare service with the implementation of Ayushman Bharat. The minister acknowledged the numerous path-breaking healthcare reforms and enabling provisions introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014, which have catapulted India into a cost-effective medical destination.
India’s previously less-known reputation in the realm of preventive healthcare has been revolutionized, with the country now recognized as the vaccination hub of the world. India has achieved milestones such as the development of DNA Covid Vaccine, the world’s first intra-nasal Covid Vaccine, and India’s first indigenously developed vaccine, “CERVAVAC,” which targets cervical cancer prevention, among many others.
Emphasizing the need to bridge the urban-rural gap in healthcare services, Dr. Jitendra Singh advocated for the promotion of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The government has taken unprecedented initiatives, such as the ‘Doctors in Wheels,’ to bring healthcare to the most remote corners of the country.
Healthcare has been accorded top priority by the government, evident in the significant increase in medical colleges from 145 to 260, the establishment of 16 AIIMS, and the proliferation of hundreds of Dialysis Centres. The country has also made remarkable progress in various fields, including the start-up ecosystem, space technology, and quantum technology, exemplified by the recent launch of Chandrayaan-3.
The conference witnessed the presence of several distinguished guests, including Padma Dr. Mohan Kameswaran, Chairman of IAOHNS, Dr. Madan Kapre, President of IAOHNS, Dr. P VijayaKrishanan, Decrease IOAHNS, Dr. Sunil Kotwal, Org. Chairman IOAHNS, Dr. Rohan Gupta, Org. Secretary IOAHNS, Dr. I.P Singh, and Dr. R.S. Anand Kumar.
