Modi to kick off health ministry’s post-Budget webcast tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open a webinar on the timely execution of Budget announcements hosted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. Following the inauguration, there will be sessions on the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, E-Sanjeevani, and Telemental Health Programme.

“The objective of the webinar is to involve the stakeholders in taking forward the various initiatives of the government in the health sector. The Prime Minister’s address will set the tone for the post-budget webinars,” said the government’s Press and Information Bureau in a statement. “The sessions are planned in a manner to allow for ample interaction with stakeholders, with a view to evolving a participative approach for time-bound implementation of announcements.”

Union health and Ayush ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Sarbananda Sonowal will chair the valedictory session. V K Paul, member (health), NITI Aayog, will moderate the session on Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. This will follow National Health Authority additional CEO Praveen Gedam’s presentation.

Devi Shetty, chairman, Narayana Health, Upasana Arora, Yashoda Hospital, Ameera Shah, MD, Metropolis Lab, Harsh Mahajan, president, NATHEALTH, and Rajeev Vasudevan of AyurVaid Hospitals will be among the speakers.

K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, will moderate the session on National Tele-Medicine initiatives and E-Sanjeevani. Health and family welfare ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal’s presentation will follow the session.

Pratima Murthy, director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, will moderate the session on Tele-Mental Health Programme, which has been a key focus of this year’s Budget.

National Health Mission director Vikas Sheel will make a presentation on the ministry’s efforts for tele-medicine services.