NEW DELHI: JP Nadda, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India today while addressing the ‘FICCI HEAL 2025’ said that the theme of the conference ‘Care @25 -Defining Moments in Healthcare’ is very timely as we move forward to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and become a healthy India. “The target is to have equitable, accessible and affordable health and all stakeholders must come forward to achieve the target,” he added.
Mr Nadda further stated that Ayushman Bharat is today the world’s largest universal health coverage program and around 62 crore citizens or more than 40 per cent of the Indian population is covered with Rs 5 lakh health coverage and every person above 70 years of age is entitled for Ayushman coverage till death. “The government is also planning to increase the Jan Aushadhi Kendra from current 16,000 outlets to 25,000 outlets. There is also a decline in out-of-pocket expenses from 62.6 per cent to 39.4 per cent in the last years and Ayushman Bharat has played a very important role in this,” he added.
Speaking on the number of medical seats and medical infrastructure, Mr Nadda said that we will require 20 lakh beds and 2 beds per thousand patients in coming years if we to match the Viksit Bharat vision. He stated that earlier there were only 387 medical colleges now we have 810 medical colleges, and the seats have increased from 51,000 to now 1,25,000 UG seats. “In the next 5 years, we will have 75,000 additional UG seats, and PG seats are now at 76,000. “We are trying to see that the quality does not get compromised with the increase in quantity because that is the need of the hour,” he emphasized.
The Minister also highlighted the digital revolution in the healthcare sector with increase in use of the eSanjeevani platform. Speaking on the government’s spent on the healthcare sector, Mr Nadda added that the National Health policy of 2017 says that we will be spending 2.5 per cent of the GDP for the health sector. “We are now spending 1.8 per cent but states should also increase their spending on the healthcare sector. There are adequate funds however at the state level, we need to strengthen the implementation of these funds for complete utilization,” he asserted.
Highlighting the issue of deregulation of the beds, the Minister added that the committee is already working on it which is the need of the hour.
Prof VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog said that Viksit Bharat by 2047 on one side is about becoming a $30 trillion economy and the second imperative relating to healthcare sector is to raise life expectancy from current 71 years to 85 years and healthy life expectancy from 60 years to 70-75 years. “These are the benchmarks of the developed nations and that is what we all should strive for saving lives along with healthy lives,” he added.
He further stated that there is a need for more medical infrastructure to be built in the country along with the focus on providing home care. We need to bring in the discipline of family medicine and private hospitals should also consider the option of family medicine to provide a comprehensive medical care to citizens, added Dr Paul.
Mr Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, President, FICCI said that the recent GST reforms by reducing rates on medicines and medical devices from 12–18% to just 5% has made healthcare significantly more affordable for millions. “The next 25 years must harmonize accessibility, quality, innovation, and sustainability, ensuring that no one is left behind,” he added.
Dr Harsh Mahajan, Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee and Founder & Chairman, Mahajan Imaging & Labs said, “India aims to drive innovation through advanced medical technology, digital health platforms, and artificial intelligence, integrating preventive, promotive, and personalized medicine at every level.
Mr Varun Khanna, Co-Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee and Group MD, Quality Care India Ltd (Care, KIMS & Evercare) said that the healthcare sector is talent dependent and in the next 7 years, India is likely to add a million doctors in the sector. “We are today the largest health workforce in Asia,” he added.
During the event, 3 knowledge papers were released:
FICCI-EY Report: True Accountable Care – Maximizing Healthcare Delivery Impact, Efficiently;
FICCI-Chase Advisors Paper: Unlocking the Longevity Dividend- Active and Healthy Ageing in India;
FICCI-KPMG Paper: AI in Healthcare- Reimagine Care with AI-driven transformation
