Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said that the nation has moved away from ‘token of solution to the total solution in the healthcare sector’ and the Tele-consultation services were an example of this.

He was chairing the 4th anniversary celebrations of Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) with more than one lakh AB-HWCs, state Health ministers, senior officials of all the states and Union territories, healthcare workers from various hospitals and development partners.

“Health is an important issue in the development sector. Under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, we have moved away from a token solution to a total solution in the healthcare sector,” said the Union Health Minister.

People in many states have been quick to recognise the benefits of e-sanjeevani and this has led to an encouraging trend of widespread rapid adoption of this digital modality of seeking health services, said Mandaviya, while adding that some HWCs were also providing screening services for some serious diseases like Oral Cancer, Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer. This helps the country not only in early detection but also in providing early treatment to the patient. Healthy Citizens can only make a Healthy Society and Healthy Society builds a Healthy Nation. AB-HWCs are a stepping stone towards this vision, he emphasized.

“Teleconsultation Services are very crucial for people in remote areas and are helpful in making healthcare services accessible for all. States/UTs should mobilise all stakeholders in providing services at the spokes and efficiently connecting them with the hubs”, he further added.

On this occasion, he also released four booklets – Quarterly report on Ayushman Bharat on AB-HWCs, Guidelines on Human resources for health, Public Health Management Cadre’ Guidance for implementation and Indian Public Health Standards Guidelines.

Union Minister of state for health, Bharati Pravin Pawar said that all the necessary health services were being provided to the countrymen near their homes easily without any financial burden. “Be it pregnant mothers, newborn babies, teenagers or respected elders, all are availing the benefits of health services at the Health & Wellness Centre. Not only this, the health and wellness center infrastructure has also been designed keeping in view the needs of the divyangs so that the specially-abled patients can also access the primary health services,” said Pawar.

“These health centers are ensuring delivery of health facilities in the health interest of the community and fulfilling the commitments of National Health Policy 2017,” she said.