The Union government is in the process of rolling out a National Health Assurance Mission (NHAM), which will have Universal Health Insurance as a major component and a package of preventive health-care concepts to help the nation move towards the goal of ‘Health for All,’ Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said.
The Minister was announcing the elevation of the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, as one of the 20 apex State Cancer Institutes in the country at a function here on Friday.
On Kerala’s demand to develop the RCC as a National Cancer Institute, he said the Centre was working towards it. “I share Kerala’s dream in this regard,” the Minister said.
Free diagnosisElaborating on the NHAM, he said free distribution of at least 50 modern medicines and about 30-40 drugs of the Indian systems of medicine, and free diagnostic and health services would be assured to every citizen.
The Indian systems of medicine was poised for a major push with the Union Cabinet approving the launch of the National Ayush Mission, through which new schemes, infrastructure development and research inputs would be ushered in, he said.
The Minister lauded Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for his decision to reduce the availability of liquor in the State and introduce prohibition in stages. It was the responsibility of every government to save people from the scourge of tobacco and alcohol addiction, he said.
Kerala’s roleHe said a social awakening was needed to inspire people to quit alcohol and tobacco. A nationwide movement was required to promote health education and preventive health-care concepts so that early diagnosis of diseases like cancer was possible. Kerala, with its high level of literacy and excellent health system, was best poised to launch health as a major social movement and create health-care models which could be replicated across the nation, he said.
