GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21st Dec. Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda interacted with the media on Wednesday in New Delhi regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Universal Health Coverage – Leaving No One Behind’.
Focus of the interaction was Government of India’s initiatives to provide health security for the poorest of the poor.
The briefing was held in the presence of Union Minister of State (Agriculture and Farmers Welfare), Shobha Karandlaje; MP (Lok Sabha), Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma; and MP (Rajya Sabha), Indu Bala Goswami.
Munda informed that the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was launched in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on September 23, 2018 and is providing health security to the poorest of the poor in the country. This is the world’s largest government funded healthcare program targeting more than 55 crore beneficiaries, aiming to provide insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakh per annum.
The Minister expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, for the launch of National Sickle Cell Anaemia (SCA) Elimination Programme on 1st July 2023. It aims at addressing the significant health challenges posed by sickle cell disease, particularly among tribal population of the country.
Munda informed that the mission aims to screen over 8 crore tribals for SCA, out of which over data for 90 lakh people has already been collected.
Munda further informed about a mammoth initiative by the Government, Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN), to bring about a 360-degree development in tribal areas. The PM JANMAN Mission targets the development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) who have been left out by the schemes of various Ministries/Departments. This Mission has a financial outlay of around Rs. 24,000 crores, and focuses on 11 critical interventions related to 9 key Ministries.
Tribal Health is one of the key focus areas under PM JANMAN, the Minister explained.
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs will be nodal and coordinating Ministry, whereas each of other 8 sectoral ministries and departments will implement the interventions related to them, he added.
The Minister also said that now through Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, it is aimed to ensure 100% saturation of government programmes which benefit people directly including tribals living in remotest areas.
The Minister noted that the healthcare sector in the country had achieved more in the last 9 years than what was done in the preceding 70 years and holistic healthcare has been placed among the top priorities of this government. The Ayushman Bharat scheme under health infrastructure mission is creating modern health facilities at the district level. There were only 8 AIIMS in the country but that number has gone up to 23 now, of which 20 are fully functional.
He further revealed that testing facilities have been created and more than 1.6 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are being established.
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