New Delhi – Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda highlighted the significance of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in achieving the government’s goal of affordable and accessible healthcare for all, speaking at the third International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (ISHTA 2025) held at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday.
Nadda emphasized the government’s commitment to strengthening India’s healthcare system and ensuring that quality medical care is available to everyone. “The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is playing a critical role in advancing evidence-based policy-making to build an efficient, equitable, and high-quality health system, aligned with the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” Nadda stated.
The Union Health Minister pointed out that HTA India resource centers are operational across 19 states in India. He added that these centers “serves as an important mechanism for priority setting and has helped immensely in achieving various health goals such as for TB detection, optimising healthcare costs and incorporating evidence-based data in national health programmes.”
Nadda also noted the government’s focus on enhancing primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare infrastructure across the country, stating that the aim is to provide healthcare that is “preventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative.” He mentioned that 22 state-of-the-art AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) have been established, and there has been a substantial increase in the number of MBBS and MD seats, alongside an increase in training opportunities for paramedic and nursing staff.
Additionally, Nadda announced the government’s plan to create 75,000 new seats in the medical sector, with 30,000 seats already created in the past year.
During the event, Nadda also launched several key initiatives, including the Patent Mitra program. This initiative, developed under the guidance of NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and supported by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), is designed to support innovators within the country.
“Our country is taking a significant leap towards supporting our innovators. The platform is designed to provide crucial support to the scientists, researchers, and institutions ensuring that their ground-breaking works are protected through patents and made available to the public through seamless technology transfer,” he said.
The Medical Innovations Patent Mitra will offer comprehensive support to ICMR Institutes, ICMR Extramural Grantees, and Medical Colleges/Institutes. This includes patentability assessments, patent filing assistance in India, and support with patent prosecution. Furthermore, the initiative will facilitate technology transfer, providing guidance for the transfer of innovations to industry partners through mechanisms such as the Med Tech “Mela” and paperless Expression of Interest (EOI) processes.
