Nadda Highlights Centre’s Focus on Inclusive Healthcare
NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister JP Nadda underscored the central government’s commitment to comprehensive healthcare during the inauguration of the third International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (ISHTA 2025) on Saturday. He emphasized that the government’s approach encompasses preventive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative care.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda
Nadda highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of strengthening India’s healthcare system and ensuring that healthcare is both accessible and affordable for all citizens. He stressed the critical role of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in shaping evidence-based policies to create a health system that is efficient, equitable, and high-quality, aligning with the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“The government is focused on providing healthcare that is preventive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative,” Nadda stated at the symposium, which was themed “Bridging Evidence to Policy: Health Technology Assessment for Affordable Healthcare.” The symposium was organized by the Department of Health Research (DHR) under the Union Health Ministry.
“The Centre has laid emphasis on primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare,” he added.
Nadda also pointed out that 22 state-of-the-art All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospitals have been established across the country so far. He further noted that there has been a significant increase in the number of MBBS and MD seats, alongside improved training for paramedics and nursing staff.
In addition to these advancements, the Union Health Minister announced the creation of 75,000 medical sector seats overall, with 30,000 already created last year. Speaking about the HTA India resource centres currently operational across 19 states, Nadda explained that these centres are essential for priority setting and have played an important role in achieving various health goals. These goals include tuberculosis (TB) detection, optimizing healthcare costs, and incorporating evidence-based data into national health programs.
Nadda also launched several important resources, including the Open Real-Time PCR Kit for Diagnosing Pulmonary Tuberculosis (Quantiplus MTB FAST Detection Kit, developed by Huwel Lifesciences), the HTA Technologies Compendium, the HTA Costing Database, and the Patent Mitra initiative.
“With the launch of these flagship initiatives, our country is taking a significant leap in supporting innovators. This platform is designed to provide crucial assistance to scientists, researchers, and institutions, ensuring their work is protected through patents and made accessible to the public via seamless technology transfer,” he said. He further noted that the Medical Education Patent Mitra initiative of the ICMR aligns with the Med Tech Mitra initiative, demonstrating the ICMR’s commitment to advancing medical innovation.
