Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda on Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting with the Health Ministers and senior officials of Rajasthan and Maharashtra to assess healthcare delivery systems and fast-track the implementation of priority national health initiatives.
The review focused on strengthening public health infrastructure, improving patient-centric services, tightening regulatory oversight, and advancing India’s goal of eliminating tuberculosis as a public health challenge. The Union Health Minister stressed the need for a strong and vigilant drug regulatory framework, highlighting the importance of end-to-end oversight across manufacturing, supply chains, and last-mile distribution to ensure quality, safety, and public trust.
Progress under the Free Drugs and Free Diagnostics Initiatives was reviewed, with emphasis on addressing supply-chain gaps and improving monitoring mechanisms. The Union Minister also called for expanding the network of Jan Aushadhi Kendras and AMRIT Pharmacy stores in both States to widen access to affordable and quality medicines.
Rajasthan flagged the need for population-based establishment of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to better serve scattered habitations and ensure effective primary healthcare coverage. The Union Health Minister underscored that timely and quality diagnostics form the backbone of healthcare delivery and must be seamlessly integrated across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
The discussions also highlighted the need to professionalise hospital administration and strengthen regulatory oversight of blood banks, hospital operations, and patient safety standards, alongside clinical services.
On tuberculosis elimination, the Union Health Minister emphasised district- and block-specific strategies, intensified screening and diagnostics, treatment adherence, nutritional support, and close grassroots-level monitoring. He also stressed the role of Public–Private Partnerships and Viability Gap Funding in accelerating TB elimination and strengthening health system interventions.
To improve accountability and public participation, the Union Minister proposed sensitisation workshops for MLAs to enable structured engagement with Chief Medical Officers and Block Medical Officers. Jan Bhagidari, or people’s participation, was highlighted as a key driver for improving health outcomes and strengthening trust in public health systems.
The Health Ministers of Rajasthan and Maharashtra assured full cooperation with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to strengthen implementation and improve outcomes across priority health programmes.
The Union Government reiterated its support through National Health Mission interventions, expansion of medical education capacity, infrastructure development, technical assistance, and capacity building tailored to state-specific needs.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to enhance drug regulation, strengthen diagnostic services, professionalise hospital administration, expand medical education, and accelerate progress towards a TB-free India, reflecting cooperative federalism in public health governance.
Senior officials from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, including representatives from NHM, FSSAI, and the office of the Drugs Controller General of India, were present at the meeting.
Also Read