Govt constantly working to foster equality in healthcare services: Mandaviya

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) The government is constantly working to foster equality in healthcare services and make them affordable and accessible through initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.

He also emphasised that the government has taken several steps to boost health infrastructure in the country. In addition to reducing the cost of treatment for the poor, efforts are also being made to rapidly increase the number of doctors, Mandaviya said.

"The number of medical colleges have more than doubled in the last nine years. Similarly, the number of MBBS, PG and nursing seats have increased at an unprecedented rate in a span of less than 10 years," he said while addressing a gathering at a function to inaugurate the accident and emergency block of the Lady Hardinge Kriplani Hospital.

Mandaviya also virtually inaugurated the new hostel block of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Research and Dr RML Hospital, the sports injury centre of the Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital and the academic block and new hostel block of the Rajkumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing.

"As current and future doctors, we must orient our approach of wellness towards deferring ailments and diseases and the integrative approach is going to play an important role in propagating wellness to keep ailments away," Mandaviya said.

Highlighting the government's promise towards ensuring health for all, the health minister said that "health sector dynamics are changing rapidly in the country under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." "Our goal is to work holistically in the health sector with synergy between preventive healthcare and modern medical facilities," he said.

He also said, "The government is constantly working to foster equality in healthcare services, striving to make them affordable and accessible through initiatives like Ayushman Bharat." On the government's commitment and resolve to raise awareness and ensure delivery of healthcare services to the last person, Mandaviya said that "differing from other nations, India has a four-tier healthcare system that functions from grassroots to primary to secondary to tertiary wherein institutes such as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established across rural and urban areas".

They have several healthcare services and also serve to connect the under-served with secondary and tertiary level consultations at their respective locations, saving a patient's time and money and providing services and care with ease at affordable rates, he said. PTI PLB ANB ANB