New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched India’s largest ever health outreach programme for women and children called the Swastha Nari Sashakt Parivar health initiative and exhorted women to actively participate in the ambitious initiative of free diagnostics and treatment.
“Today, I have come here to demand something from my mothers and sisters. All I ask is that you should attend these camps without any hesitation. Tests and medicines are free.
State treasury is not more important than your health,” the PM said while speaking at the launch event in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, which happened to be his birthday also.
Modi said women are the main foundations for national development. “If a mother is healthy, the whole family stays healthy. A mother’s health impacts the whole family.
Therefore, this campaign is dedicated to mothers and sisters and for their healthy future,” he added. Under the Swastha Nari Sashakt Parivar health initiative, the govt is going to organise more than 10 lakh health camps between September 17 and October 2 across all its health facilities, from the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to the tertiary hospitals, to screen women for common health issues like anaemia, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
Some of the private hospitals have also volunteered to conduct camps to screen women for common health problems.
Noting that sickle cell anaemia is a pertinent issue in the tribal regions of the country, the PM particularly appealed to the tribal women to take advantage of the benefits available during the campaign period. He also stated that all tests and medicines in the health centres will be available free of cost.
“Our resolve is that no mother or daughter should be left behind. Those who require further treatment can avail themselves of the protective cover (Suraksha Kavach) provided by the Ayushman cards,” Modi said.
He also launched the Adi Karmyogi Abhiyan on the occassion. The initiative will include a series of service-oriented activities in tribal regions, focusing on health, education, nutrition and skill development.
The govt runs multiple programmes targeted towards improving women’s health. However, multiple studies suggest poorer health indices among them as compared to men, especially in rural areas.
The latest govt initiative, jointly led by the health ministry and the ministry of women and child development, aims to provide women-centric preventive, promotive, and curative health services at the community level.
“It will strengthen screening, early detection, and treatment linkages for non-communicable diseases, anaemia, tuberculosis, and sickle cell disease, while also promoting maternal, child, and adolescent health through antenatal care, immunisation, nutrition, menstrual hygiene, lifestyle and mental health awareness activities,” an official said.
