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| Achievable Goal | | | While addressing the Quaternary Healthcare & Research Summit, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha called for ensuring that healthcare must no longer remain a luxury confined to metropolitan cities and it must become a right, not a privilege.
LG Sinha highlighted India’s remarkable progress under the leadership of PM Modi. He said free treatment for more than 56 crore citizens surpassed the combined population of the US, France, Italy, and the UK. He said annual vaccination campaigns in the country covering 7 crore children, equal to the population of the UK. He said even e-Sanjeevani telemedicine providing care to 37 crore people annually, exceeding the population of the US.
The country’s vaccination programme is another example of healthcare reaching citizens on an unprecedented scale. Annual campaigns covering around seven crore children demonstrate the importance of preventive healthcare. Vaccination is not merely a medical intervention; it is an investment in the future of the nation. Protecting children from preventable diseases reduces the burden on families and healthcare institutions while ensuring healthier generations.
Equally transformative is the growth of telemedicine. The e-Sanjeevani platform, providing healthcare services to around 37 crore people annually, represents a major step towards overcoming geographical barriers. For residents of remote and hilly regions, including many parts of Jammu and Kashmir, digital healthcare can potentially reduce the difficulties associated with travelling long distances for medical consultations. Technology, therefore, can become a powerful equaliser in healthcare delivery.
Healthcare equity requires adequate hospitals, modern diagnostic facilities, trained doctors, nurses and technicians, affordable medicines and reliable emergency services. Greater investment in medical research and specialised healthcare infrastructure is equally important to ensure that patients do not have to travel to distant metropolitan centres for advanced treatment.
Jammu and Kashmir, with its difficult terrain and scattered habitations, particularly needs innovative healthcare models. Telemedicine, mobile medical units, stronger primary healthcare centres and specialised services at district hospitals can substantially improve access for people living in remote areas.
The larger objective should be to build a healthcare system in which poverty or distance never determines whether a person receives timely treatment. India’s progress provides encouraging evidence that this goal is achievable. The next phase must focus on making quality healthcare accessible, affordable and equitable.
Healthcare should indeed be a right, not a privilege. A healthier population is not only a social responsibility but also the foundation of a stronger, more productive and developed India. |
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