The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, outlined the key accomplishments of the Union Health Ministry in the first 100 days of the current administration at a press conference today. Alongside Shri Nadda, Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav and Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel, were present to discuss a series of transformative initiatives aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery and infrastructure across the country.

In his address, Shri Nadda highlighted the government's investment of ₹15 lakh crore in healthcare across various ministries. "The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched several key initiatives aimed at improving healthcare access and quality," said Mr. Singh.

Expansion of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY

One of the most significant announcements was the expansion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) to include all senior persons aged 70 and up, regardless of income. We expect this action to assist approximately 6 crore people across 4.5 crore households. The expansion will commence in October of this year. Shri Nadda described Ayushman Bharat as the world's largest publicly sponsored health coverage initiative, putting India at the forefront of universal healthcare.

U-WIN portal for vaccination launched

The launch of the U-WIN Portal, a digital platform meant to completely digitize vaccination services under the Universal Immunisation Programme, was another significant advance. This portal enables thorough immunisation tracking for pregnant women and children up to the age of 17. The minister stated, "We have developed the U-WIN portal to fully digitise vaccination services." With features like self-registration, automated SMS notifications, and QR-based e-vaccination certificates, this platform is a huge step towards streamlining healthcare services. By mid-September 2024, the platform had registered over 6.46 crore beneficiaries and recorded 23.06 crore vaccination doses.

Breakthroughs in TB treatment and diagnostics

Shri Nadda also announced the implementation of a shorter, more effective tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimen through the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). This new regimen will shorten treatment time from 9–12 months to 6 months, benefiting roughly 75,000 patients diagnosed with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB) each year. Early next year will see the implementation of the validated regimen by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Additionally, the ministry has validated a new indigenous diagnostic method, Patho Detect, for TB and drug resistance detection. This approach is projected to drastically cut test result turnaround time, hence minimising TB-related morbidity and mortality.

BHISHM Cubes for Disaster Relief

In the event of a public health emergency or disaster, the Health Minister unveiled BHISHM Cubes, portable, modular medical facilities. These facilities have the capacity to manage up to 200 cases of trauma, burns, and other severe conditions. To ensure regional emergency preparation, 25 All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other national institutes will receive BHISHM Cubes in the first phase. India has also provided assistance by donating four BHISHM Cubes to Ukraine, demonstrating its commitment to global health diplomacy.

Drone Services for Medical Supply Delivery

Drone services have been highlighted as a major solution for delivering medical supplies to hard-to-reach places. Shri Nadda announced the selection of 15 AIIMS and other national institutions to carry out these drone services. Drones will allow for the safe and effective transportation of medicines, vaccinations, and diagnostic samples, enhancing healthcare delivery in remote areas.

Expansion of Medical Education Infrastructure

The Ministry has achieved great progress in expanding medical education, with the number of medical colleges rising by 8.07%, from 706 in 2023-24 to 766 in 2024-25. Similarly, the number of MBBS seats increased by 6.3% to 1,15,812. Postgraduate (PG) seats have also increased by 5.92%, indicating a larger availability of qualified doctors in the healthcare sector. Shri Nadda emphasised the formation of a National Medical Register (NMR) linked to doctors' Aadhaar IDs, which ensures the validity and integrity of healthcare professional registration.

Improving Healthcare Quality with NQAS

The National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) have been implemented to ensure that public healthcare facilities maintain high quality standards. As of August 31, 2024, 13,782 public health facilities had received NQAS certification, with 5,784 approved in the last 100 days alone. Shri Nadda commented: "This will give an impetus to ensuring quality standards for all levels of public healthcare facilities."

Advancing laboratory diagnostics

Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHLs) have also implemented NQAS standards to enhance diagnosis accuracy and patient care. This project is expected to improve the quality of testing and management systems throughout the country's healthcare infrastructure.

New AIIMS in Darbhanga and Super Speciality Blocks in Bihar.

The announcement of the construction of a new AIIMS in Darbhanga followed the completion of the land allotment. Furthermore, the construction of superspecialty blocks at four government medical institutions in Bihar will improve the state's tertiary healthcare services. These changes are part of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), which aims to reduce citizens' out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.

Food Import Rejection Alerts

In conjunction with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Ministry also launched the Food Import Rejection Alerts (FIRA) website. This online system would alert stakeholders about food import denials at Indian borders, assuring the safety and quality of imported food goods.