India’s Public Healthcare & Digital Health Ecosystem See Major Expansion Over 11 Years: Anupriya Patel

With expanded infrastructure, growing medical education capacity, wide insurance coverage, and a rapidly evolving digital health ecosystem, Patel said the country is steadily moving towards a more inclusive and resilient healthcare system.

Addressing a recent gathering, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel has said that India has witnessed a far-reaching transformation in its healthcare system over the past eleven years, with public institutions, digital health initiatives, and medical education forming the backbone of this shift.

The Union Minister stressed that digital health has emerged as a critical enabler of universal healthcare.

“Today, India is at the forefront of digital health and innovative technologies because we want to fulfil the larger goal of universal healthcare,” she said.

Patel emphasized, over the last decade, the government has focused on strengthening the entire healthcare pyramid, spanning primary, secondary, and tertiary services, while simultaneously reimagining medical education and embracing digital health innovations.

“At the primary level, there are more than 1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs operational in the country, which are providing comprehensive primary care services to the people. The government is fixing up the critical gaps in secondary healthcare facilities like CHCs and district hospitals, and we are also expanding the network of tertiary care facilities and reimagining medical education,” she noted.

Patel highlighted that capacity building has been a central pillar of this transformation.

“There are also schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana and Amrit Pharmacies, which are providing medicines, medical devices and surgical implants at discounted rates,” Patel added, noting that affordability remains central to improving health outcomes.

With expanded infrastructure, growing medical education capacity, wide insurance coverage, and a rapidly evolving digital health ecosystem, Patel said the country is steadily moving towards a more inclusive and resilient healthcare system.

The remarks were made at an event attended by senior healthcare leaders, including Prof. (Dr.) Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, and Dr. Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services. Senior faculty and administrators from VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, along with officials from the Union Health Ministry, were also present.

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