New National Health Policy people oriented: Nadda

Shimla: The new National Health Policy is people-oriented with stress on preventive steps to fight non-communicable diseases responsible for over 50 per cent of deaths, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said.

It also includes mental health, geriatric health care, palliative care and rehabilitation care services.

He said pharmaceutical companies would be persuaded to adopt 'Make in India' which would help in making medicines affordable and accessible.

Nadda said that the new policy envisaged providing larger package of assured comprehensive primary health care through the health and wellness centres and focuses on important changes from very selective to comprehensive primary health care packages.

"To provide access to financial protection, the policy proposes free drugs, free diagnostics, and free emergency and essential health care in all public hospitals," Nadda said adding the policy aims to achieve the highest level of good health and well-being through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies.

"The policy also targets universal access to good quality health care services at affordable costs and looks at problems and solutions holistically with private sector as strategic partner and seeks to promote quality of care with focus on emerging diseases," he said in an informal chat here with the media.