The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Jagat Prakash Nadda chairing the 2nd Mission Steering Group (MSG) of the National Health Mission (NHM), in New Delhi on February 19, 2015. The Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Mrs. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Mrs. Smriti Irani, the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Mr. Thaawar Chand Gehlot and the Minister of State for AAYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik are also seen.
Health Minister stresses patient-centric quality healthcare
New Delhi (PIB-GR-TYP-BIN): Mr. JP Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare said that providing assured and comprehensive health services will be the foremost priority of the Ministry, which will provide an assured set of services encompassing preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare. He stated this at the second meeting of the Mission Steering Group (MSG) of the National Health Mission (NHP) on February 19. The Union Minister for Urban Development, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Mrs. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Mrs. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Mr. Thawar Chand Gehlot, MoS (IC), Ministry of AYUSH, Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik were also present at the meeting.
Pointing out that one of the key areas of concern is quality of healthcare in public health system, the Health Minister said that healthcare needs to be patient-centric, which is not clinically appropriate but where dignity of the patient is also respected. He stated that the Ministry proposes to give a major thrust to improving quality of healthcare in public facilities.
On the occasion, the Health Minister said that decentralization lies at the heart of the health sector reform process under NHM, as also a consciousness that the principles of federalism and subsidiary are paramount. He added that the government is committed to the concept of cooperative federalism wherein the Center will work with the state governments as true partners, and support them financially and technically to strengthen their health systems.
Mr. Nadda added that ‘While we will continue to strengthen the NHM approaches, there will be shift in emphasis based on our learning from various evaluations and Common Review Missions’.
The Minister further said that the states must increase their healthcare spending as Government of India also tries to supplement their efforts. He also cautioned the states against wastage in public health system while stressing the need for collective effort to improve the efficiency.
The Minister stated that the National Rural Health Mission and the National Urban Health Mission together form the basis of the Ministry’s effort at health system reform. He hoped that in implementing NUHM, the states would be able to incorporate learning from NRHM, to rapidly scale up implementation.
The Minister assured the members of the Steering Group that their valuable suggestions to further enrich and strengthen the NHM will be discussed and incorporated.
(Courtesy: PIB)