Union Health minister virtually inaugurates regional workshop in city
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 21: Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said that the Northeast is beginning to be seen as the growth engine of India.
The Union minister said this after virtually inaugurating the Regional Consultative Workshop on ‘Research Priority for Providing Accessible and Affordable Healthcare for the Northeastern States of India’, held at the State Convention Centre here on Wednesday.
On the commitment of the Union government for the development of the Northeastern region, the Union Health minister said that in the last 10 years, efforts have been made to bring it into the mainstream by connecting it with all types of connectivity like Health, Roadways, Railways, I-Ways, Waterways and Ropeway etc.
Maintaining that the Centre is committed to ensure access to quality and affordable health facilities to all in the country, he said the government is coming up with policies and schemes for creating a health model for the country that gives meaning to the spirit of ‘Sarva Jan Hitay, Sarva Jan Sukhaay’.
More than 31 crore people have been given Ayushman card for providing in-hospital treatment under which free family treatment up to Rs 5 lakh is given annually.
“Not only this, he said that a total number of 11,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been opened, where 50-80 per cent cheaper medicines are available, adding that more than 1.64 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have come up, which are considered as the Health Gate Keeper of the people of India and complete Health Surveillance System and One Health Initiative is being implemented from 48 BSL Labs,” he said.
The Union Health minister also inaugurated a market place and launched the Master’s Programme on Health Economics and Technology Assessment of Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Shillong, in the presence of the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, and Meghalaya Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh.
The two-day workshop is being jointly organised by the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, IIPH Shillong and Indian Council of Medical Research-Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh.
Joint Secretary, Department of Health Research, Anu Nagar, Principal Health Secretary of Meghalaya, Sampath Kumar and senior officials from Centre and state were present on the occasion. Speaking to reporters, Union MoS Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said India has made phenomenal progress in delivering healthcare services to the innermost regions and remote areas of the nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She said that the Northeastern states have benefitted immensely from innovations and initiatives taken in the health sector and schemes like Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres among others are successfully providing primary healthcare services at grassroots level.
She congratulated the ICMR and other stakeholders for successfully hosting the research orientation workshop for the northeast region, the first of its kind, in the beautiful city of Shillong.
The MoS exuded confidence in there being positive takeaways for the Northeastern states at the end of the workshop.
Explaining the purpose of the workshop, Secretary, Department of Health Research and DG, ICMR, Dr Rajiv Bahl, said, “Through this workshop, we want to discuss all the research priorities for the Northeastern states so that we can start specific research projects for the region.”
He said that that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on research and innovation is exemplified by the fact that he has added the term ‘Jai Anusandhan’ (hail innovation) to the ever-popular slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan.”
Dr Bahl said that another objective of the workshop is to make affordable health technology available to the states.
“We should use the resources in the most judicious way and we should get it at the lowest cost and make it affordable to the people of India. Which will only be possible through products which are developed and made in India,” he added.
Dr Bahl said that the workshop discussed in detail the concept and domains of Health Technology Assessment (HTA), recent advancements in the field, and its role in policy making in the healthcare sector.