India to be malaria-free soon: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that India has recorded a 97 per cent reduction in malaria cases and the country will be free of the disease in a “short time”. He was addressing the ‘All India Medical Conference — IMA NATCON 2025’ of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Shela.

“Thanks to various healthcare-related schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Mission Indradhanush, we have recorded a 97 per cent reduction in malaria cases and we will be almost free from malaria in a short time. The Government has been able to bring down the mortality rate in dengue to just 1 per cent. There has been a 25 per cent reduction in maternal mortality,” he said.

“From Rs 37,000 crore in 2014, the Centre’s health budget now stands at Rs 1.28 lakh crore under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All these achievements happen when schemes are implemented on the ground. Work has also been done to bring about unprecedented changes in the health of citizens,” Shah added.

He told doctors that the efforts they are taking should be aligned with this infrastructure and scheme to ensure better results. The role of doctors and IMA has become more important today because the country needs a “healthy demography” to realise PM Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, Shah said. The Union Minister said the Centre, in view of this requirement of a healthy demography, has been trying to build a robust health ecosystem with a holistic view since 2014, adding that some of the key components of this endeavour are Swachh Bharat Mission, Ayushman Bharat, Fit India Movement and Khelo India.

“We made generic medicines affordable, reduced the cost of several medicines by removing GST, and increased medical seats. We are expanding the reach of AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences). In the coming days, we will be launching a programme through AIIMS to provide guidance to PHCs and CHCs via telemedicine and videography,” he informed.

With IMA celebrating 100 years of its establishment, Shah urged its leadership to rethink the dimensions of their contribution and work in the context of affordable, accessible and quality healthcare. “I believe ethics and dimensions of the medical field should become part of medical education. It is IMA’s responsibility to redefine them and help the Centre incorporate them in the medical education. If we do that, we will get doctors who will consider their profession as a service to the nation, which is the need of the hour,” said Shah.

He also urged IMA to prepare a list of doctors who are ready to work as volunteers and dedicate three hours daily for providing diagnoses to needy citizens through a telemedicine network. He asked the IMA to use their capabilities to solve pending issues related to healthcare.

“In today’s world, you should adopt the concept of wellness instead of illness. Along with prescribing medicines, doctors should also suggest some lifestyle-related changes and good habits to their patients,” said Shah.

On the occasion, Shah expressed displeasure over some doctors trying to downplay the contribution of the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme and selling of generic medicines to needy citizens. He said these schemes are necessary to fill the vacuum that exists in the healthcare sector. “There is a vacuum, and it has to be filled. You (private sector doctors) are not in competition with anyone. There’s no objection if you don’t glorify these efforts, but the attempts by some people, not everyone, to belittle them should be stopped,” said Shah.