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Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Tribal Affairs, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, led a comprehensive review meeting today to assess the implementation and progress of various health sector schemes in Maharashtra. The meeting, held at the Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai, saw the participation of key officials from both the central and state health departments.
Among those present were Shri Milind Mhaiskar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, Government of Maharashtra; Shri Saroj Kumar, Director of NHM-III, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW); Shri Dheeraj Kumar, Commissioner of Health Services and MD of NHM, Government of Maharashtra; Shri Rajeev Niwatkar, Commissioner of Medical Education Department; Dr. Nitin Ambedkar, Additional Director Of Health Services, and other senior officers.
The review covered a spectrum of schemes and programs including PM-ABHIM, Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) Certification, Ayushman Arogya Mandir, PMSSY, PMJAY, TB Elimination Programme, PMNDP, Cancer Care, and AYUSH hospitals across the state.
Dr. Bharati Pawar emphasized the importance of central government funds allocated to states through various schemes aimed at bolstering healthcare infrastructure and improving patient care. She highlighted the need to ramp up mass screening for sickle cell anaemia in tribal areas and advocated for mandatory screening of the condition during pregnant women’s health check-ups.
Drawing attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of eradicating sickle cell disease nationwide, Dr. Pawar urged concerted efforts toward tuberculosis elimination and emphasized public awareness campaigns for TB screening, encouraging citizens to become Nikshaya Mitra.
Under the Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), medical laboratories are being constructed in Maharashtra, with facilities already established in four districts and critical care blocks underway in 18 locations. Furthermore, existing health centers have been transformed into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, equipped with advanced screening facilities for conditions like diabetes and cancer.
Dr. Pawar underscored the expansion of medical education seats across the country and highlighted ongoing efforts to establish medical colleges in Nandurbar and Gondia. She advocated for leveraging the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in the health sector and called for the establishment of more chemotherapy centers to enhance cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The minister also directed the expedited distribution of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) cards to beneficiaries, noting that over 24 lakh patients have already benefited from the scheme in Maharashtra.
Additionally, Dr. Pawar emphasized the utilization of funds from the 15th Finance Commission and Covid Response Fund to strengthen the state’s health system.
The meeting also highlighted the implementation of the ‘Kilkari’ project in Gujarat and Maharashtra, an IVR-based mobile health service delivering vital information on pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare to families’ mobile phones.
The comprehensive review underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality across Maharashtra, aligning with broader national health objectives.
