Country fully prepared to deal with coronavirus situation: Scindia

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The country is fully prepared to deal with the coronavirus situation, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday.

In the wake of rising coronavirus infections in China and some other countries, the government is taking various measures, including random testing of arriving international passengers, to curb possible spread of infections.

Scindia, who is in charge of the ministries of civil aviation and steel, said the country is fully prepared to deal with the coronavirus situation.

Till now, a record 220 crore coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered in the country, he added.

Briefing reporters here about the healthcare initiatives taken by the BJP-led central government since 2014, he also expressed confidence that the country will achieve universal healthcare coverage.

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With a holistic approach to healthcare, Scindia said, the government is focussing on health as well as wellness, and making treatment of diseases inclusive.

According to the minister, medicines have become more affordable and out-of-pocket expenditure for medicines has come down.

Out-of-pocket health expenditure as a percentage of total health expenditure has declined from 64.2 per cent in 2013-14 to 48.2 per cent in 2018-19.

The pillars of the government's healthcare programme are accessibilty, affordability, assured quality and digital delivery, he added.

While emphasising that healthcare has been one of the key focus areas of the government, he said the amount of work that has been done in the sector in India in the last 7-8 years has not been done in the previous 70 years.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), under Ayushman Bharat, is covering around 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families. The number of beneficiaries is around 50 crore for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

The minister said that as many as 17.6 crore Ayushman Cards have been generated and more than 28,800 public and private hospitals have been empanelled.

Scindia also said the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PM-BJP) scheme is ensuring availability of over 1,800 affordable yet high-quality medicines in about 8,800 Jan Aushadhi pharmacy outlets.

Before 2014, there were less than 400 medical colleges and more than 200 new medical colleges have been built in the country in the last eight years, he said.

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