Nashik, July 12 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Sunday that the government and private institutions must work together to ensure that quality healthcare reaches the last person in society,

He made these remarks while inaugurating a private health facility in Nashik, Maharashtra, according to an official statement.

Birla noted that the Central government has been working to promote the health and well-being of all.

He observed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently encouraged a healthy lifestyle and that Yoga has today become an integral part of the daily lives of people across the world.

He stressed the need to adopt Yoga and an environmentally sustainable lifestyle to ensure a healthy and disease-free life.

Birla observed that the Central government has taken several important steps to strengthen the country’s healthcare system. Medical infrastructure has been expanded, seats in medical colleges have been increased, and major initiatives, including Ayushman Bharat, have been launched.

He added that the participation of the private sector is also yielding meaningful results, with new medical colleges being established, medical infrastructure being strengthened, and greater emphasis being placed on research alongside the treatment of serious diseases.

Emphasising the importance of medical research, Birla stressed that medical professionals and institutions must prepare themselves to address the challenges posed by existing as well as emerging diseases.

India, he said, must further strengthen its capabilities in medical research and innovation.

Referring to India’s growing capabilities in science and healthcare, he recalled that there was a time when India depended on developed countries in several areas of healthcare.

However, during the pandemic, Indian scientists made a significant contribution to the development of vaccines, which served humanity during an unprecedented global crisis.

He stressed that the Central government and the private sector must work together to promote research, science and technology and develop effective responses to emerging diseases.

Birla further emphasised the need to establish research and innovation centres in universities and colleges.

Noting that new diseases can emerge unexpectedly and pose serious challenges, he observed that strengthening medical infrastructure must go hand in hand with investment in research, innovation and scientific capabilities.

–IANS

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