Address by Chief Guest: Ashwini Kumar Choubey

“Ayushman Bharat is a new era in healthcare. It would revolutionise and make healthcare accessible, affordable to all,” informed Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare,  at the third edition of Healthcare Senate.

Addressing healthcare delegates from pan-India, Choubey, the Chief Guest at the second day of the event said, “We need the support of all stakeholders of healthcare, including the media, to make our movement successful.”

“Ayushman Bharat is a holistic healthcare programme, it will cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) and provide coverage upto five lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation,” informed Choubey.

He also informed that Healthcare Senate is a great platform for healthcare leaders  as it focuses on values,  especially in these times where profit seems to be the biggest motivator.

Choubey also emphasised, “Good health is often the result of good nutrition and good sanitation. Therefore, the government is trying to ensure that the country’s citizens get access to these through several initiatives, including institutionalised deliveries and nutritional supplementation schemes. ”

He also spoke about how the government is planning to revamp PHC centres in the country to improve healthcare services in the country. It intends to launch 15000 centres in this year across the country.

Touching upon the role of AYUSH, Choubey stressed that if it is leveraged effectively, it can help tackle the shortage of allopathic doctors and healthcare professionals.

“Age-old practices like yoga could be very beneficial in tackling lifestyle diseases. India could show the world the way to live healthier through effective adoption of yoga,” he added. His central message was, “Service to humanity is service to God. It is true worship.”

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