In a historic initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission via video conferencing, in the presence of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya, and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar.
Addressing the nation Modi said that the campaign of strengthening health facilities that have been going for the past seven years is entering a new phase today. “Today we are launching a Mission that has the potential of bringing a revolutionary change in India’s health facilities”, PM said.
Modi remarked that the ArogyaSetu app helped a lot in preventing the spread of Covid infection. He lauded Co-WIN for its role in making India achieve a record administration of about 90 crore vaccine doses today, under the free vaccine campaign. Continuing with the theme of the use of technology in health, the he said that there has also been an unprecedented expansion of telemedicine during the Covid period, so far about 125 crores, remote consultations have been completed through e-Sanjeevani.
Modi added that Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will now connect the digital health solutions of hospitals across the country with each other. The Mission will not only make the processes of hospitals simplified but also will increase ease of living, he added. Under this, every citizen will now get a digital health ID and their health record will be digitally protected.
He told that India is working on a health model that is holistic and inclusive. A model that stresses preventive healthcare and, in case of disease, easy, affordable and accessible treatment. He talked about unprecedented reforms in health education and said a much larger number of doctors and par medical manpower is being created in India now as compared to 7 to 8 years back. A comprehensive network of AIIMS and other modern health institutions is being established in the nation and work on establishing one medical college in every three Lok Sabha constituencies is going on.
PM highlighted strengthening health facilities in villages and informed that in the villages, primary health centre networks and wellness centres are being strengthened. Over 80000 such centres have already been operationalised, said Modi.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya said, “This step of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission would transform the healthcare sector and bring revolutionary change to the lives of all citizens.”
