Context:

• Over the past 11 years (2014–2025), India’s healthcare system has witnessed substantial transformation driven by robust policy interventions, political commitment, increased funding, and technology-driven solutions.
• These efforts aim to build an affordable, accessible, equitable, and quality healthcare system, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-3) and national objectives under Ayushman Bharat and National Health Mission (NHM).

Healthcare in 2014 - Challenges and Gaps:

• Infrastructure deficiencies: Shortage of primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), and diagnostic facilities.
• Human resource crisis: Inadequate number of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals.
• Service quality: Limited access, uneven service delivery, and low affordability.
• High out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE): Major barrier to universal health access.

Vision Shift - From Illness to Wellness:

• Proactive well-being approach: Emphasis on preventive and promotive care, rather than curative alone.
• Policy backbone: National Health Mission (NHM) as a cornerstone of systemic reform.

Key Pillars of Transformation:

• Strengthening primary healthcare:
  • Ayushman arogya mandirs:
    • Over 1.77 lakh centres established to deliver comprehensive primary care.
    • Services include maternal-child health, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) screening, and mental health support.
  • Telemedicine services:
    • eSanjeevani: Enabled remote consultations.
    • Tele-MANAS: Specialized mental health support.
• Maternal and child health improvements:
• Maternal mortality rate (MMR): According to the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group, India’s MMR declined by 86%, which is almost double the global average decline.
• Infant mortality rate (IMR): India’s IMR reduced by 73%, compared to a global decline of 58%.
• Tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs):
  • Mass screening at Arogya Mandirs: For example, 28 crore screened for hypertension, 27 crore for diabetes, and 27 crore for oral cancer.
  • Focus on cancer screening: Breast, cervical, and oral cancer screening prioritized.
• Universal immunisation and public health milestones:
  • Mission Indradhanush: 5.46 crore children and 1.32 crore pregnant women were vaccinated.
  • U-WIN portal: Digitized vaccination with 42.75 crore doses administered till May 2025.
  • Eliminated diseases: Polio (2014), Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus (2015), Trachoma (2024).
  • Malaria: Over 80% reduction in cases and deaths (2015–2023).
  • Kala Azar: Elimination target achieved in 2023.
  • Tuberculosis:17.7% reduction in incidence and 21% decline in mortality. “Missing” TB cases dropped from 15 lakh (2015) to 1.2 lakh (2024).

Healthcare Financing and Affordability:

• Government health expenditure: Government health expenditure as a share of GDP has increased from 1.13% to 1.84% (2014-2022).
• Reduction in OOPE: Declined from 62.6% to 39.4% (2014-2022).
• Free Drugs and Diagnostics Initiative: Available in 36 States/UTs; Tele-radiology in 12 States/UTs.
• PM National Dialysis Programme: Benefited over 28 lakh kidney patients; saved ₹8,725 crore in OOPE.
• Emergency Healthcare Access: National Ambulance Services (NAS) and Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) reaching remote populations.

Infrastructure Expansion and Human Resource Development:

• PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM): Launched in 2021, PM-ABHIM aims to build long-term health infrastructure.
  • Achievements under PM-ABHIM: 18,802 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, 602 Critical Care Hospital Blocks, 730 District Integrated Public Health Labs.
• Human resource strengthening: 5.23 lakh health workers were added, including 1.18 lakh Community Health Officers (CHOs). CHOs act as a bridge between community health workers and doctors.

Conclusion - Towards Universal Healthcare:

• India’s healthcare journey from 2014 to 2025 represents a paradigm shift from illness to wellness, backed by innovative policies, digital tools, and fiscal support.
• The current foundation offers strong momentum toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.