The regional Consultative Workshop on Research Priority for Providing Accessible and Affordable Healthcare for the Northeastern States of India began today, with Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare virtually inaugurating the event, reported the Press Information Bureau (PIB). The workshop is being jointly organized by Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; Indian Institute of Public Health, Shillong and Indian Council of Medical Research – Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Mandaviya said “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream is to create a healthy India, a developed India, in which every citizen of the country should get quality health facilities on time; health facilities and medicines should become easily affordable, accessible and available; and health facilities should be spread in all geographical areas and have balanced availability”.

He said that the effort of the government is on ensuring that everyone get access to health facilities in an equal manner without any distinction between rich and poor. To achieve this objective, the Union Minister said, the government has worked with policies and various schemes due to which India has created a health model that gives meaning to the spirit of ‘Sarva Jan Hitay, Sarva Jan Sukhaay’.

On the commitment of the Union Government for the development of the Northeast region, Dr Mandaviya said, “In the last 10 years, efforts have been made to bring it into the mainstream of the country by connecting it with all types of connectivity like Health, Roadways, Railways, I-Ways, Waterways and Ropeway etc. For the first time in the country, the North East region has started to be seen as the growth engine of India. Healthcare today has become accessible and available for this entire region.”

Dr. Mandaviya also highlighted that in the last 10 years, institutions like RIMS (Regional Institute of Medical Sciences), RIPANS (Regional Institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences), NEIGRIHMS (Northeastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences) and Assam AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) have been developed and 23 new medical colleges have been opened in the region. Further, ICMR has also developed various health facilities in the region.

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“Today 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 being given annually, 11,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are open where 50-80 percent cheaper medicines are available, 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,” claimed the Union Minister. He also updated that more than 22 lakh kidney patients in the country have got free dialysis service, about six crore people of the country have received free treatment through PMJAY and out of pocket expenditure of the total health expenditure of the citizens has reduced from 62.6 percent to 47.1 percent.

“The government is working on Essential Health Technology on the lines of essential medicine. These efforts will make health technologies available, accessible, affordable and equitable for all people in the coming times,” stated Dr Mandaviya.

During the occasion, the Union Health Minister also inaugurated a Market Place and launched a Master’s Program on Health Economics and Technology Assessment in IIPH, Shillong.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and DG, ICMR; Smt. Anu Nagar, Joint Secretary, Department of Health Research; Shri Sampath Kumar, Principal Health Secretary, Meghalaya and senior officials of the Union Government and Government of Meghalaya were present on the occasion.Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Dr Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Meghalaya were also present.