Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the progress made in India’s healthcare sector over the past 12 years, stating that sustained efforts have been made to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible for all citizens.
In a post on X with the hashtag #12YearsOfSwasthBharat, the Prime Minister said India has undertaken major initiatives to expand healthcare coverage, improve affordability and strengthen medical infrastructure across the country.
“Over the last 12 years, India has worked to make quality healthcare more affordable and accessible,” PM Modi said.
He described Ayushman Bharat as one of the country’s landmark healthcare initiatives and said India takes pride in operating the world’s largest healthcare programme for vulnerable sections of society.
“We feel proud when we are known as the nation with the world’s largest healthcare programme, Ayushman Bharat, which provides top-quality healthcare to the most vulnerable,” he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the contribution of the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana in making medicines more affordable for citizens.
“Other efforts like PM Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana have made medicines affordable. The prices of stents and knee implants have become affordable and this has helped many people,” he said.
PM Modi further noted that medical education has become more accessible through the expansion of institutions and the increase in the number of medical seats across the country.
“We will keep building on this ground covered so far in order to build a healthy India,” he added.
Launched in 2018, Ayushman Bharat provides health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year to eligible beneficiaries for secondary and tertiary healthcare services.
Earlier, addressing a public gathering in Daman, the Prime Minister said the scheme had transformed healthcare access for millions of Indians and extended health protection to a large section of the population.
“In the BJP government and in our NDA government, the first benchmark of development is change in the lives of the poor, the deprived, tribal communities and the middle class,” he had said.
Highlighting the benefits of the programme, PM Modi stated that every eligible citizen now has access to an Ayushman Card that guarantees free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh.
The Prime Minister also pointed to complementary initiatives such as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Jan Aushadhi Kendras and digital health services, which together have strengthened the healthcare delivery system.
According to PM Modi, Ayushman Cards and Jan Aushadhi Kendras have helped poor and middle-class families save nearly Rs 2.25 lakh crore in medical expenses.
-IANS
