Health Minister stresses patient-centric care, drug regulation in review with MP and Chhattisgarh
New Delhi: The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, yesterday chaired a high-level review meeting with the Health Ministers and senior officials of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to assess the status of healthcare delivery and accelerate the implementation of key national health programmes and mission-mode health sector reforms.
The meeting focused on strengthening public health systems, enhancing patient satisfaction, improving regulatory oversight, and advancing the national goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) as a public health concern.
According to the PIB, Shri Nadda highlighted the importance of robust drug regulation, underscoring that continuous monitoring of the entire supply chain—from manufacture to distribution—is essential to ensure quality and safety. He emphasised the need to promote best practices in regulation and urged to treat improving patient satisfaction, strengthening regulatory supervision and compliance as an ongoing mission.
On the Free Drugs and Free Diagnostics schemes, the Union Health Minister directed both States to strengthen supply-chain systems and bridge monitoring gaps. He informed that the Ministry is working with IIM Ahmedabad to further enhance logistics, transparency, and accountability in drug and diagnostic procurement.
Shri Nadda stressed that quality diagnostics and timely testing form the backbone of effective healthcare delivery and must be strengthened across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. He noted that while doctors are central to clinical care, hospital administration and regulatory compliance require dedicated professional management. Special emphasis was laid on strengthening regulation of blood banks, hospital systems, and safety protocols.
Highlighting technology-driven solutions, the Union Health Minister stated that telemedicine offers an effective means to expand access to quality healthcare, particularly in remote and underserved areas. He encouraged both States to integrate telemedicine platforms more deeply into routine service delivery to ensure uninterrupted access to specialist consultations.
Reiterating the Government’s commitment to eliminate TB, Shri Nadda called for district-specific interventions with intensified screening, diagnostics, treatment adherence, and nutritional support. He emphasised that TB elimination must be pursued in mission mode with close monitoring at district and block levels.
The Union Health Minister also proposed sensitisation workshops for MLAs, encouraging them to actively engage with Block Medical Officers (BMOs) and Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) through regular reviews. He underlined that Jan Bhagidari (people’s participation) is vital for improving healthcare outcomes, ensuring accountability, and building public trust in government health programmes.
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Public Health and Medical Education of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Rajendra Shukla, and Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education, Chhattisgarh, Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, assured that the State Governments would work closely with the Union Health Ministry to strengthen implementation and outcomes.
Shri Nadda reiterated the Centre’s support through National Health Mission interventions, PPP models, medical education expansion, viability gap funding, and infrastructure support mechanisms, to ensure accessible, affordable, and modern healthcare systems in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. He also stated that the centre is committed to provide all necessary technical training and hand holding of the State Government of Chhattisgarh to ensure that management of Leprosy is taken on top priority. The Union Health Minister stated that similar consultative meetings will be held with Health Ministers of other States in the coming days as part of a mission-mode approach to health sector reforms.
The meeting concluded with a shared resolve to strengthen drug regulation, improve diagnostics, professionalise hospital administration, expand medical education capacity, and accelerate progress towards a TB-free Bharat, reinforcing the spirit of cooperative federalism in public health.
The Madhya Pradesh delegation included Shri Rajendra Shukla, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Public Health and Medical Education; Shri Devendra Dwivedi, Officer on Special Duty to the Deputy Chief Minister; Shri Tarun Rathi, Commissioner, Health and Medical Education; and Dr. Saloni Sidana, Managing Director, National Health Mission (NHM).
The Chhattisgarh delegation comprised Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education; Shri Amit Kataria, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education; Shri Ranbir Sharma, Managing Director, NHM; Shri Ritesh Agrawal, Commissioner, Medical Education; along with other senior officials.
Senior officials from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare were also present, including Ms. Nivedita Shukla Verma, Union Health Secretary; Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Chief Executive Officer, National Health Authority (NHA); Ms. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Managing Director (NHM); Shri Rajit Punhani, Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI); and Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), among others.
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