India Prioritizes Affordable Healthcare with U-WIN Portal and Ayushman Bharat Initiative

President Droupadi Murmu emphasized the Indian government's commitment to affordable healthcare during the Parliament session. Key initiatives include the U-WIN portal for tracking vaccinations and Ayushman Bharat scheme offering health insurance to senior citizens. Efforts to reduce healthcare costs and improve health infrastructure are underway.

In a clear indication of its priorities, President Droupadi Murmu highlighted the government's focus on affordable healthcare during her address to a joint sitting of Parliament, marking the start of the Budget session. Key to this initiative is the U-WIN portal, designed for precise tracking of vaccinations for pregnant women and children, already accounting for 30 crore vaccine doses.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme forms another cornerstone of these healthcare efforts, providing health insurance to 6 crore senior citizens with a Rs 5 lakh coverage per year. Simultaneously, the exemption of several costly cancer drugs from customs duty and extensive screenings for cervical cancer underline the government's commitment to reducing healthcare expenses for families.

Infrastructure improvements include the establishment of 1,75,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and the increase of medical college seats by 75,000 over the coming years. The President's speech also touched upon advancements through telemedicine and initiatives in combating diseases like TB and encephalitis, aiming for a healthier nation.

(With inputs from agencies.)