Number of cities covered under CGHS will be expanded to 100 soon: Health minister Mandaviya

NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said the number of cities covered under CGHS will be expanded from the current 80 to 100 cities in the coming days. Mandaviya inaugurated three Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) Wellness Centres, and a robotic surgery unit at the National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases in Delhi on Friday.

Mandaviya said the three wellness centres at Alaknanda, Rohini Sector-16, Vasant Vihar in Delhi will significantly improve healthcare facilities. He added that there are 341 CGHS Wellness Centres serving 44 lakh beneficiaries.

"Due to reforms undertaken by the government, the number of cities covered under CGHS has increased from 25 in 2014 to 80. The centres will soon reach 100 cities in India," he said.

"It is our goal to ensure that CGHS beneficiaries are able to avail the healthcare services closest to their residence, widening the reach to the innermost corners of the nation," the Health Minister said.

"To ensure optimum health facilities for patients suffering from tuberculosis requiring surgery, robotic surgery will be instrumental in providing the right care to them," Mandaviya said.

He said that providing accessible and affordable healthcare to the last mile is the government's goal and the foundation of a healthy nation.

Reemphasising the commitment to foster a healthier, technologically advanced, and prosperous nation, the Union minister said a multi-tier approach has been adopted to ensure comprehensive quality healthcare at affordable rates in which the health ministry has revised the rates of CGHS packages in empaneled private hospitals.

The National Health Authority platform has been deployed for this purpose, he said.

The minister underlined that this facility will ease processes equipping private hospitals with resources to provide priority treatment to beneficiaries.

Highlighting that 4 out 10 medicines prescribed in the world are generic medicines made in India, Mandaviya said "Jan Aushadhi medicines are also provided in CGHS Wellness Centres, not just for the CGHS beneficiaries, but for all public."

Highlighting the transformation of healthcare services and infrastructure, Mandaviya said, "Over 1.6 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established in India - 1 for every 10,000 people providing holistic treatments for the public."