June 11th 2024.
New Delhi: As the new government of Narendra Modi takes charge, the Union health ministry has set a 100-day agenda that includes some key initiatives to improve healthcare in the country. Some of the highlights of this agenda are extending the Ayushman Bharat coverage to senior citizens aged above 70 years and the nationwide launch of the U-WIN portal to digitize routine vaccinations.
During a brief interaction with senior officials on Tuesday, J P Nadda, who is also the BJP president, emphasized the importance of focusing on this agenda. This aligns with Prime Minister Modi's promise in April, while releasing the BJP's Lok Sabha poll manifesto, to bring senior citizens above 70 years of age and the transgender community under the ambit of the Centre's health scheme, Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
The ministry has identified 14 key items to focus on in the first 100 days, which also includes launching the National Health Claims Exchange to facilitate faster processing of health insurance claims, using drone services to deliver medical supplies in difficult terrains, and providing cashless treatment services to ex-servicemen. The ministry also plans to improve ease of doing business by introducing a "tatkal" issuance of license or registration for select food businesses under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
In addition, the ministry is also working on deploying Arogya Maitri Cubes in central government hospitals to handle health emergencies, providing financial support to the Banaras Hindu University's Institute of Medical Sciences, and making the National Medical Register operational.
One of the top priorities of the government is extending the Ayushman Bharat scheme to cover everyone aged 70 years and above. The details of this proposal are currently being finalized and will be sent to the Expenditure Finance Committee for approval before being presented to the Cabinet.
The ministry is also working on creating a central repository of doctors practicing in India through the National Medical Commission. This will give all doctors a unique identification number by the end of 2024. A pilot project for this register is already underway.
In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the BJP secured 240 seats, falling short of a majority. However, with the support of the NDA, which won 293 seats, they were able to secure the mandate. The Congress won 99 seats, while the INDIA bloc won 234 seats. Two Independents who won in the polls have also pledged their support to the Congress, bringing the INDIA bloc's tally to 236.
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