President Inaugurates ‘Saving Lives’ Campaign, Stresses Affordable Healthcare

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday inaugurated the nationwide campaign ‘Saving Lives and Building a Healthier Bharat’, organised by PD Hinduja Hospital, at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai.

In her address, the President said the Government of India has taken several important steps over the past decade to ensure citizens remain healthy and have access to quality healthcare. Over 180,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs provide healthcare services across the country. Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the world’s largest health insurance scheme, around 12 crore families receive health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year for hospitalization. National programmes such as Mission Indradhanush, the TB-Free India Campaign, and the Sickle Cell Anemia Eradication Mission are protecting citizens from diseases.

The number of MBBS and postgraduate seats has been increased to improve availability of quality doctors and paramedical professionals. New AIIMS and medical colleges have been established in several states to provide access to quality healthcare. These efforts are yielding positive results.

The President said that in building a healthy India, the role of all stakeholders, along with the government, is crucial. Everyone must work together to ensure quality healthcare reaches every citizen. The ‘Saving Lives and Building a Healthier Bharat’ campaign is one such effort.

The President said saving a life is the greatest act of charity. Access to emergency medical care is crucial to saving lives, with proper care within the golden hour able to save most lives. To ensure no one loses life due to lack of immediate medical assistance, the PM Relief Scheme provides cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh to accident victims. Along with ambulances and trauma centres, awareness is essential to saving lives in serious accidents and medical emergencies.

The President said healthy citizens are the foundation of a strong nation. Protecting people from diseases and providing timely and proper medical care is crucial to keeping them healthy. Healthcare is an integral part of nation-building. The health of citizens is a collective responsibility. All stakeholders must work together to ensure even the poorest of the poor receive timely and proper medical care. ‘Affordable World Class Healthcare Services to All’ should be everyone’s mission.

The President said technology and AI are playing a crucial role in healthcare, with their role set to increase in the future. The Government of India is creating an ecosystem conducive to innovation and widespread adoption of new technologies. The IndiaAI Mission is supporting innovation in AI-enabled healthcare.
The President said India is a leading pharmaceutical producer, with medicines manufactured in the country contributing to treatment worldwide. However, reliance on imports for many medical devices and critical medicines poses a significant financial burden for ordinary people. Manufacturing medicines and equipment domestically is crucial to providing affordable healthcare. Initiatives like Make in India and PLI are proving helpful. She urged the medical fraternity and business community to contribute to nation-building by encouraging research, innovation and start-ups in this field.

The President said India is moving forward with the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. Healthy citizens are a fundamental requirement for achieving this goal. Citizens will remain healthy only if they have timely access to quality healthcare. She expressed confidence that through collective efforts, citizens will receive excellent healthcare and India will gain greater recognition as a global healthcare destination.