12 years of Swasth Bharat: How healthcare sector transformed under Modi govt

New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the expanding and evolving healthcare landscape of India, emphasising how the country worked hard to make quality healthcare more affordable and accessible in past twelve years.

PM Modi took note of world’s largest healthcare program Ayushman Bharat, providing quality healthcare to the most vulnerable sections and also shared a glimpse of health sector’s transformation, reaffirming commitment to build a healthy India.

Over the past 12 years, under PM Modi’s stewardship, India has made rapid strides ensuring healthcare outreach to vulnerable sections and remote locations.

Here is a look at the milestones in strengthening public healthcare system:

Robust healthcare

As stronger healthcare system starts with more doctors, better training, and wider access to medical education, the healthcare system has seen expansion over the years, paving way for a healthier India.

According to data shared by MyGov, citizen engagement platform of Union government, the number of medical college as well as number of doctors have doubled in the past decade. The number of medical colleges which stood at below 1,000 mark has increased to more than 2,000 while MBBS and Postgraduate seats saw substantial rise from 50,000 and 32,000 to more than 1.28 lakh and 85,000 respectively.

Sharp drop in TB cases

The fight against Tuberculosis (TB) has gained strength over the years and is no longer being fought in the shadows. Through early detection, wider screening, improved treatment access, and community participation, the country has accelerated its journey towards a TB-free future.

Dreaded disease disappearing

Some of the diseases that once posed major challenge are steadily being pushed into history. India has been declared Trachoma-free nation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) while diseases like malaria are heading towards elimination.

Covid vaccination

When the world struggled to save its population from Covid-19, India responded with speed, scale, and innovation. The speed and scale of India’s vaccination drive left the global powers amazed at the intensity of campaign.

Homegrown medical equipments

From advanced therapies and indigenous medical technologies to cutting-edge genomic research, the country has strengthened its capacity to develop solutions that are affordable, accessible, and made for the future.

The indigenously developed MRI machine has brought down the costs of diagnosis while homegrown CAR-T therapy has given impetus in cancer treatment.

Pharmacy of world

From being known as the “Pharmacy of the World”, India is now shaping as a global hub for biopharma and biotechnology innovation. With a thriving ecosystem of 11,800+ biotech startups, and a strong global supply footprint, India is driving next-generation healthcare innovation with research, scale, and impact.

HPV vaccination push

With the rollout of HPV vaccination for young girls, the Union government has advanced its commitment to preventive healthcare and cancer prevention.

India has joined the list of 160 countries to launch HPV vaccination programs at war-footing to protect girl young girls from cervical cancer.

–IANS

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