The mission of PM Modi to identify the power of Indians and use it for the betterment of the country has paid a rich dividend, said Health Minister Mandaviya.
The empowerment of researchers of the country by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is part of his vision to take the healthcare to every Indian, Union Health and Family Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said while giving away the 1st Sushruta Awards at an event organised by iTV Network to honour “warriors of the Covid era” and “Sevadharis of Ayushman Bharat” for playing critical roles in healthcare delivery and key government schemes.
The mission of PM Modi to identify the power of Indians and use it for the betterment of the country has paid a rich dividend, said Mandaviya. With his five-point pledge, the PM has called for becoming Viksit Bharat and giving up colonial mindset, drawing inspiration from our heritage and legacy along with learning from the best practices in the world.
The minister said that the PM has called upon everyone, including doctors and paramedical staff, to work for the country’s betterment with full commitment and unitedly move ahead in a holistic manner.
Underscoring the magnitude of change ushered in for the benefit of all—enhancing the accessibility and availability of healthcare services—the health minister said PM Modi does not believe in “tokenism but totalism” and for making health services affordable the base of primary health services has been expanded by opening 1.6 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandir.
Highlighting that there is no shortage of brain power and manpower in India, the minister called upon all Sushruta awardees to continue serving the country to the best of their capacity. He also called upon them to take pride in the legacy of Charak and Sushruta.
Sharing details of efforts to expand the healthcare services in the country during the last 10 years, Mandaviya said that in 2014 there were 54,000 MBBS seats which have now increased to 106,000. “Today the international standard of doctor to patient ratio of 1:1000 has been achieved but we still need to continue expanding the number of MBBS seats as we want our doctors to serve the world and realise the dream of healing by India,” he said.
For expanding the tertiary health service, medical colleges are coming up in each district and 22 AIIMS are coming up, he said, hailing the Ayushman Bharat scheme conceived by PM Modi that has offered guaranteed treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to 12 crore families or 60 crore people as compared to the 10 crore people who were offered health security by US President Barack Obama some 15 years ago.
A helpline was also launched by iTV Foundation for spreading information and helping those whose loved ones perish in hospitals and to whom the hospitals refuse to release the bodies of their loved ones for various reasons, including non-payment of bills.
In his vote of thanks, Rajya Sabha MP and iTV Network founder Kartikeya Sharma said, “As we gather here today, it is an honour to be able to discuss some of the health sector issues. It is fitting to pay homage to Sushruta, the father of surgery, whose ancient text, Sushruta Samhita, stands as a testament to the rich heritage of Indian medicine and surgery.” Sushruta’s teachings have transcended time, guiding generations of healers with his profound wisdom and innovative surgical techniques. His holistic approach to healthcare, encompassing both physical and spiritual well-being, continues to inspire medical practitioners worldwide. The awards have been named in his honour and a tribute to his pioneering contribution to the field of healthcare, he said.
Sharma also congratulated the government and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for their approach towards tackling the challenges in the health sector. “I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Medically Speaking, the dedicated health vertical of the iTV Network for conceptualising and organising these awards,” he said, calling for efforts to check the spread of misinformation and educate our communities with accurate scientific knowledge.
National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation’s director Anil Kumar earlier called upon people to pledge organ donation in large numbers. He said PM Modi has said on several occasions that one donor can save up to eight lives. “The level of deceased donations in our country is much less than the demand for organ transplants,” said Kumar, adding that for the first time the number of donors crossed the 1,000-mark to touch 1,061 last year, which paved the way for 16,941 transplants. “There is a demand for 2 lakh kidney transplants but only 12,343 could be undertaken due to shortage of donors,” said Kumar.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pawar earlier said that offering affordable healthcare has become the norm under the Modi government, and for this, nearly 10,000 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) have been opened. She also said that the Aayush Ministry has been carved out of the health ministry and a separate budget has been allocated to promote research in traditional medicine therapies. She also said that the government is focused on inclusive growth and is working at the healthcare’s primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
M. Srinivas, Director, AIIMS, shared the institute’s vision of expanding the base of Janaushadhi centres and how it is working with underprivileged patients by integrating with PM-JAY. “The upcoming AIIMS would soon attain the international standards and share the patient load of AIIMS-Delhi. These institutes would also excel in academics and research.”