Now Reading: Preventive healthcare is future model for India: Rajnath Singh
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Preventive healthcare is future model for India: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said preventive healthcare is the future model for India, citing rising non-communicable diseases, high treatment costs and an ageing population. Speaking at a diagnostic centre inauguration in Noida…
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said preventive healthcare is the future model for India, citing rising non-communicable diseases, high treatment costs and an ageing population. Speaking at a diagnostic centre inauguration in Noida on Saturday, he said diseases like diabetes and heart conditions develop over years and that early detection through regular check-ups costing a few thousand rupees could save lakhs in advanced treatment.
Singh called preventive healthcare a matter of national economy and security, and urged stakeholders to make it the new normal. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ayushman Bharat scheme, noting over 35 crore people have received treatment under the programme. He also said Uttar Pradesh now has more than 45 medical colleges, up from 12 before 2017, and that MBBS and postgraduate seats have more than tripled.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India's health expenditure as a share of GDP has remained near 3-4% for years, well below the global average. A shift to preventive care would require reorienting public spending from curative hospitals to primary health centres and screening programmes. The Ayushman Bharat scheme, cited by Singh, currently covers hospitalisation, not outpatient check-ups. The government's next health budget will show whether this rhetoric translates into funding. The real test is whether insurance policies begin covering annual health check-ups without co-pay, which would signal a genuine policy pivot.
Source: health.economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
