Will hold talks on making health accessible, affordable at Health Ministers' Conclave: Mansukh Mandaviya

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 11 (ANI): Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said that at the Universal Health Coverage Conclave, which is being held in Varanasi, talks will be held on how Central and state governments can work on making health accessible and affordable.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Saturday virtually inaugurated the two-day conclave of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi.
"We have organised a workshop for two days. Health ministers of states are present. We will hold talks on how Central and State governments can work on PM's vision of making health accessible and affordable," said Mandaviya at the sidelines of the Universal Health Coverage Conclave.
Speaking at the occasion, Governor Anandiben Patel praised the work of Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres in providing last-mile delivery of healthcare services.
"I am happy to learn that more than 1.33 lakh HWCs have now become operational and are working as hubs of teleconsultations services," she stated. She further encouraged the medical professionals at these centres to create awareness regarding screening for various diseases among the local population, emphasizing that collaborative effort is essential for eradicating the nation of diseases.
Applauding the progress of the initiative Nikshay-Mitra, she said "With the collaborative effort of Centre, States, communities and individuals, we can easily achieve goal of TB - mukt Bharat by 2025. Let us all come forward and become a Nikshay Mitra to support TB patients."
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya thanked the Community Health Officers (CHOs) for their service and commitment to duty, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Union Health minister praised the significant impact of e-Sanjeevani, the flagship initiative of the central government in digital health, elaborating that it has successfully saved 21.59 km per health visit to the patient, and enabled savings of Rs 941.51 in terms of direct and indirect cost per health visit leading to a saving of Rs 7,522 crore across the country.
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) aims that 'all people have access to needed promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that people do not suffer financial hardship when paying for these services'. 12th of December, was officially designated as "International Universal Health Coverage Day" by the United Nations in the Year 2017.
The theme of UHC day is "Build the World We Want: A Healthy Future for All" which underscores the role and importance of health coverage in building a healthy future for all. Also, one of the priorities of the G20 health track includes focus on Universal Health Coverage and improved healthcare service delivery.
The UHC also features as a key priority in the G20 India Health track and is also a key target for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030.
The health ministers of several states were present at the conclave. (ANI)