Replying to a debate on the working of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Nadda said though health is a state subject and hence the states are responsible for the last mile delivery, the Centre does the job of hand-holding, finance, providing technology, formulating policy, planning, as well as research and development.
Since 2017, the NDA government has been following a comprehensive health policy that deals with all aspects from preventive to curative. Abandoning the earlier practice of working in silos, the approach now is to have an integrated policy involving co-sharing and co-reference between allopathy, Ayush, and yoga.
The government is committed to making India tuberculosis-free before the SDG deadline of 2030.
On the establishment of AIIMS, Nadda said the first one was inaugurated in 1960 in Delhi by Jawaharlal Nehru and it was only in 1998 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee that six more AIIMS were sanctioned. The UPA government opened another one in Rae Bareli. Today, 22 AIIMS are in the process of construction. Other institutes have been upgraded and modernized.
AI-based X-ray machines are being used for TB detection, the minister said.With some members demanding an increase in expenditure on health, Nadda said while the aspiration is to spend 2.5% of GDP, at present the amount allocated is 1.84%, a rise from 1.15% in 2013-14. “Approximately Rs 1 Lakh Crore is being spent on health today,” he added.Enumerating the achievements, the minister said there has been a 83% decline in the maternal mortality rate, under-5 mortality has declined significantly while out of pocket expenditure of patients is down from 62.6% to 39.4%.
Cancer screening is now being done in rural areas and till now 1,63,000 patients have been detected.
He said the government is striving towards increasing the scope of work and providing more incentives to ASHA workers.
Mental health was ignored for long in the country, Nadda said, adding that use of high quality drugs today has changed the nature of treatments. The government is working towards appointing psychiatrists in every district.
