India to Acclelerate The Pace of Attainment of Universal Health Care during 12th Plan

Special focus on key areas will be made during 12th Plan to accelerate the pace of attainment of Universal Health Care in India. This was stated by Shri Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare at Yogyakarta, Indonesia on September 4.

Addressing the Health Ministers’ Meeting of South East Asia Region, he said that several steps have been taken to strengthen health systems centering on primary health care, building a strong delivery mechanism for improved service delivery in order to provide quality health care in India. A Task Force has been constituted to recommend measures to address the problem of multi drugs resistance.

He said that India is committed to enhanced public health spending and accord priority to bring equity by addressing inter and intra state variations on its path to realization of the goal of “Health care for all”. India has been making consistent and serious efforts to expand and strengthen the public health system and improve quality of care. We are providing several services free of cost such as immunization, family planning services, free diagnostic and treatment of communicable diseases and since last year, cash less service for delivery at public health institutions.

On the issue of implementation of International Health Regulations, he said that India has taken a number of initiatives to build up core capacities for surveillance and response and coordination mechanism between various stakeholders. India is working out a legislative framework to address public health emergency situations that may arise as a result of diseases, bio terrorism events and newly emerging infectious diseases. There are still areas, specially developing capacities in radiological and chemical emergencies, where action needs to be completed.

He urged WHO to assist the member states in developing capacities and also facilitate mechanisms for inter country support to IHR implementation that would include sharing of experiences, exchange of information, risk communication and outbreak response.

Coming to Universal Health Coverage, he said that efforts for its attainment have become national priorities for most countries including India. Since realization of this goal is dependent on institutional capability and resource availability, the progress has so far been uneven.

He said India will host the 31st Health Ministers’ meeting and 66th Regional Committee meeting of SEAR Region in 2013. He took this opportunity to extend an invitation to the Hon’ble ministers and senior officials of all countries in the SEAR region for the two meetings.