Jaipur, 20 February. Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhara Raje has said that a comprehensive communication strategy is required that informs and encourages people to stay healthy and prevent illness. We need to make efforts to ensure affordable health services so that people do not suffer financial hardship and our government is working in this direction with the objective of extending best possible health coverage to the people of state, she said.

Smt. Raje was addressing the national conference on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Rajasthan with focus on Health Insurance at the conference hall of Chief Minister’s office on Friday.

Smt. Raje said to achieve effective universal health care in the state our government is studying schemes being run in other states and experts working in this field are being consulted. She assured that due to the efforts being made by the state government, the scenario of health care sector will change in the next four years. Mentioning Bhamashah Card scheme she said benefit of health insurance will reach to the people through this scheme. On this occasion the Chief Minister released two books related to health care services.

Medical and Health Minister Shri Rajendra Rathore said necessity of health insurance scheme in being felt in the wake of increasing pressure on public health care institutions due to increasing population, pollution in surrounding atmosphere and other reasons. Our target is to attach more and more people with this scheme. It will bring down the pressure on government health care institutions, he said.

Representative of World Health Organisation to India Dr. Nata Menabde while mentioning the scenario of health care services in the countries around the world said availability of health care services has been kept in human rights category. She said expenditure on health care services is less in India comparing to other counterparts. Larger part of health care budget available in Rajasthan is being spent on medicines so the state needs to focus on health insurance.

Associate in Indian Institute of Management, Bangaluru Prof. Arnab Mukherjee gave presentation on various models of health insurance. In the beginning Principal Secretary Medical & Health Shri Mukesh Sharma welcomed the guests. Various sessions were organised during the conference.

Members of CM Advisory Council Dr. Ashok Panagaria, senior officials of Medical & Health Department and representatives of various health care institutions and NGOs were present during the workshop.

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