Modi govt committed to work in coordination with state govts: Mandaviya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is committed to working in coordination with state governments in the health sector, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday.

He emphasised that despite differences in political parties, the government's focus is on working together for the betterment of the country.

Speaking to ANI, Mansukh Mandaviya said, "We are one country. In a democratic system, there can be different parties but we have to work unitedly. Modi Government has always made efforts to work in coordination with state governments. In our country 60:40 model is adopted, Centre gives 60 per cent of the funds and state gives 40 per cent."

The AB-HWC is formulated with a 60:40 contribution ratio by the Centre and the state.

Moreover, close to 150,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) across the country have been established with 60:40 contribution by the Centre and state under the central government-sponsored Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

Based on the MoU signed between the Centre and states, the state needs to adhere to certain guidelines, including branding guidelines, formulated by the Centre to run these clinics uniformly across the country.

"Ayushman Bharat Yojana, National Health Mission, Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission are some of the best examples in this regard," he added.

Health Minister Mandaviya said that the rise in the cases of non-communicable disease is due to changing patterns in lifestyle and eating habits.

Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) are transforming the delivery of comprehensive primary health care services which are universally free and cater to all age groups from birth to death, through a continuum of care approach. Ensuring the reach of healthcare services to the innermost regions of the nation through various initiatives, AB-HWCs have surpassed 8.5 teleconsultations via e-Sanjeevni, where nearly 400,000 teleconsultations take place on a daily basis.

Additionally, AB-HWCs have also operationalised 2-3 centres in the urban sphere under the umbrella of Urban Primary Health Centre-Health and Wellness Centre (UPHC-HWC), strengthening outpatient care, and covering a population of 15,000 to 20,000.

"With time, patterns of lifestyle are changing, people do less labour. Issues of non-communicable diseases, blood pressure, and cancer are on the rise. We have to spread awareness in public about that. The focus should be on the wellness of the people. There are over 117,000 Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs). The focus should be on early detection. Timely Health Screening should be there so that people are aware of their health condition," he said.

He further stated that the Centre is studying the rising cases of heart attacks in the country. "Heart attack cases are increasing day by day. The government is studying that. For this also, way of lifestyle, eating and drinking habits are majorly responsible. We have to focus on preventive care. Yoga and other exercises can help in reducing the number of such cases," he said.