Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda on Thursday inaugurated the 10th national summit on "Innovation and Inclusivity: Best Practices Shaping India's Health Future", amid the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
The summit serves as a key platform for states and Union Territories to present innovative ideas and best practices in healthcare, focusing on making services more inclusive, accessible, and affordable.
Addressing the gathering, Nadda praised the Haryana government for its efforts in promoting healthcare innovation. He said the summit highlights how practical, ground-level strategies can help build an efficient and responsive public health system.
He noted that the initiatives launched at the event aim to improve the working conditions of frontline healthcare workers, enhance service delivery, and achieve better health outcomes. The emphasis, he said, is on creating systems that are efficient, integrated, and responsive to both providers and beneficiaries.
Reflecting on India’s healthcare progress over the past decade, Nadda said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the country has moved towards the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’. He highlighted a major shift from a curative-only approach to a more holistic healthcare model.
He explained that while the National Health Policy of 2002 focused mainly on treatment, the 2017 policy expanded the approach to include preventive, promotive, curative, and palliative care, making the system more people-centric.
Nadda also highlighted the role of over 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which act as the first point of healthcare contact for nearly 1.5 billion people. These centres have strengthened preventive care, including large-scale screening for diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancers among those above 30 years.
He stressed the need to improve quality and consistency, noting that over 50,000 centres have been certified under National Quality Assurance Standards, but more efforts are needed to expand certification and ensure regular audits.
Highlighting achievements, he said institutional deliveries have increased from 79 to 89 per cent, while maternal mortality has declined significantly. India has also recorded a 79 per cent drop in under-five mortality and a 73 per cent decline in infant mortality.
On disease control, he said India accounts for a small share of global malaria cases despite its large population, and tuberculosis incidence is declining faster than the global average, with 92 per cent treatment coverage.
He also recalled milestones such as India being declared polio-free in 2014, elimination of neonatal tetanus in 2015, and trachoma no longer being a public health concern. He expressed confidence that kala-azar will also be eliminated soon.
Nadda concluded that while funding is available, the focus should be on effective use, strong governance, better communication, and ensuring implementation at the grassroots level to build a strong and inclusive healthcare system.
With Inputs From IANS
