Union Minister of Health J.P. Nadda on Monday opined that it was wrong to compare the health scenario in India, which has a population of 1.25 billion, with less populated countries and jump to conclusions that health problems are on the rise.
He was speaking after inaugurating the CGHS Wellness Centre on the premises of the Government Hospital for Mental Care here.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Nadda outlined the measures being taken by the Centre to provide better health care facilities for the citizens. “We are trying to simplify things for pensioners so that they need not run around CGHS dispensaries to book appointments or avail of treatment facilities. Digital initiatives would help the beneficiary to print his/her CGHS card. The facility has been introduced as a pilot project in Delhi and by March 2017, it would be extended other cities,” he said.
Mr. Nadda commended health workers at the grass root-level for reaching out to the hilly and tribal areas and creating awareness and contributing to the control of various diseases.
Polio had been eradicated from India though some of our neighbours had failed to do so. Similarly, YAWS, a skin-disease prevalent in hilly areas, has been eradicated recently and infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate have shown a declining trend. The number of vaccinations, which was seven in the past, has been increased to 12 and more were being added to prevent pneumonia and diarrhoea.
The Health Minister said apart from treatment of the sick, a new concept of ‘wellness care’ has been introduced to create awareness among schoolchildren on the need to eat healthy foods and maintain a better living style to keep diseases at bay. Ayush and Allopathy would be integrated for the treatment of lifestyle disorders like diabetes through Yoga.
Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu said the CGHS Wellness Centre was a long-pending dream of the people of Visakhapatnam region. He thanked the people of the country for their endurance in the face of difficulties as a result of demonetisation.
Ministers Kamineni Srinivas, Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Ayyanna Patrudu, MPs K. Haribabu and M Srinivasa Rao, MLAs and a large number of officials were present.
