Rajiv Gauba, Cabinet Secretary, Government of India said that in just two years after its launch, the PM Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) movement has become a hugely successful platform for delivering tertiary care to some of the most vulnerable sections of our population.  

Addressing a webinar during the three-day FICCI HEAL-2020 event, Gauba urged the private sector to come forward and join the PM Jan Arogya Yojana movement. “The private sector hospitals, particularly the big groups should come forward and join this platform,” he said. 

Gauba said that as a country we have emerged from a state of total dependence on imports to being exporters of COVID-19 necessary medical items. “Today we have 187 labs in the government sector and 749 private testing labs for COVID testing,” he added. 

He further stated that the larger challenge of making healthcare affordable and accessible will continue to be with us even after the COVID-19 situation. “We need to improve our health infrastructure by coming up with innovative solutions, new approaches so that healthcare delivery can improve, especially at the last mile. We must improve healthcare indicators and make them comparable to the developing countries,” added Gauba. 

“I urge FICCI and the healthcare industry to launch mass awareness on COVID-19 appropriate behaviour as economic activities open up. With the advent of the festival season and winter it’s extremely important that people don’t let their guard down, he further added. 

CK Mishra, Former Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Govt of India said that the private sector has proven to the world that India is the hub of providing best cost-effective treatment. “As a country, we have moved ahead, the speed or the destination can be questioned but the fact that we are taking the correct path cannot be denied. It is time to celebrate the success and good work and move ahead,” he said. 

Emphasizing on the importance of PPP, Mishra added that healthcare is a partnership between the private and public sector along with the pooling of resources from both sides in taking the country ahead. “It is the government’s responsibility to create a platform to facilitate this. The private sector participation adds value to the entire spectrum of public health which should be at the core of our belief,” he added.