Healthcare will improve with help of urban local bodies: Sudhansh Pant

The state of healthcare services will improve substantially with the participation of urban local bodies in delivering them, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant said on Friday.

Pant made the remark at a national urban health conclave on "developing a joint roadmap for strengthening health systems resilience" here. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Manoj Joshi was also present.

Addressing the gathering, the health secretary highlighted the pressing need for strengthening the primary and secondary healthcare network in urban areas.

Citing the significant impact of urban local bodies (ULBs) in Maharashtra and Gujarat in delivering high-quality healthcare services, he said, "The state of healthcare services will improve substantially with the involvement and participation of ULBs in delivering them and at the same time it will make the healthcare services more affordable and accessible to urban dwellers."

Commending the convergence of efforts between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Pant said that by working together, they can create a synergy which will lead to more sustainable, healthy and safe urban environment for urban population.

He appealed to states and Union territories to strive to close the gaps for better healthcare delivery. He encouraged deliberation and sharing of best practices for building stronger collaborations to strengthen the urban healthcare ecosystem.

Joshi said healthcare services in the urban sphere must be sustainably strengthened to address varying needs of people.