New Delhi, December 26 (IANS). Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda held a high-level review meeting with the health ministers and senior officials of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on Friday. The objective of this meeting was to review the status of health services in both the states, effective implementation of national health programs and rapidly advance the goal of TB-free India.
Strengthening the public health system, increasing patient satisfaction, tightening the regulatory framework of medicines and hospitals and better use of modern technology were discussed in detail in the meeting.
Emphasizing on the quality and safety of medicines, the Union Minister said that continuous monitoring of the entire supply chain from production to distribution is very important.
Talking about the Free Drugs and Free Diagnostics scheme, Nadda directed both the states to strengthen the supply chain and remove the shortcomings in monitoring. He said that the Health Ministry, in collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad, is further improving transparency, accountability and logistics in the procurement of medicines and testing services.
The Union Minister said that quality screening and timely testing are the backbone of effective health services and should be strengthened from primary to tertiary levels. He also clarified that while doctors are the center of treatment, professional governance is essential for hospital management and regulatory compliance.
During this period, special emphasis was laid on strict regulation of blood banks, hospital system and safety protocols.
Union Minister Nadda said that telemedicine is an effective medium to deliver specialist services to remote and deprived areas. He urged both the states to deeply integrate it into everyday health services so that patients can get specialist consultation without any hindrance.
Regarding TB eradication, the Union Minister stressed on adopting district-specific strategies, comprehensive screening, better diagnosis, continuity in treatment and nutrition support. He said that TB eradication should be carried out in mission mode and strict monitoring should be ensured at the district and block level.
Nadda suggested sensitization workshops for MLAs so that they can have regular reviews with the Block Medical Officer (BMO) and Chief Medical Officer (CMO). He said that public participation leads to trust, accountability and better outcomes in health services.
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla and Chhattisgarh Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal assured strong implementation of health schemes in collaboration with the Centre.
The Union Minister said that the Central Government will provide full support through National Health Mission, PPP model, medical education expansion, infrastructure support and viability gap funding. He also clarified that leprosy management in Chhattisgarh will be given top priority and all possible help will be provided in technical training.
–IANS
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