The Centre has taken up the mission to improve the health of people with a holistic approach by increasing the budget for it and launching various schemes and campaigns in the last one decade, Union Minister Amit Shah has said.

Addressing the 6th Advancements in Endourology Conference here on Saturday, Shah also thanked doctors and paramedical staff for working with dedication in the fight against COVID-19.

"The Union as well as state governments and doctors across the country are working together with a holistic approach to improve the health of the people through the implementation of schemes prepared minutely during the last 10 years," he said.

"The biggest work was to increase the health budget from Rs 33,000 crore to Rs 1.33 lakh crore. The government worked to improve the health infrastructure and increase human resources required for modern medical science," he added.

Campaigns such as the Swachh Bharat Yojana launched for prevention of diseases as well as initiatives to take health services to every part of the country have played a crucial role, Shah said.

Citing a personal example, he said, "One of my granddaughters was born during COVID-19, and family members decided not to take her to the government hospital for vaccination. The bill for vaccines for the child under nine years in a private hospital was Rs 36,000." "As against this, we received a coffee mug and zero bill for my first granddaughter, who was born during normal time and got vaccinated in a municipal hospital," Shah told the gathering.

Shah also narrated how his sister, who wanted to come to India from the US during the COVID-19 pandemic period after flight services resumed, was unable to do so because she had not received a vaccination certificate even a month-and-half after getting inoculated.

"But in India you got the certificate on your mobile phone within 30 seconds. It was good use of technology by the government. We used technology and apps to make arrangements to provide the receipt of administration of vaccines within 30 seconds," Shah pointed out.

When PM Modi launched the Swachhata Abhiyan, nobody thought it had anything to do with health but there are surveys to show the cleanliness drive and building toilets have led to a massive improvement in public health, especially of women and children, he said.

Fit India, Khelo India, and maternity nutrition mission to improve the immunity level of mothers and newborns have played their part, he said, adding every child in the country under nine years of age gets vaccinated free of cost.

The government's approach to improve infrastructure for wellness centres, upgrade public and community health centres, as well as campaigns like Mission Dialysis, Matrutva Yojana and total eradication of TB have shown how the government has moved ahead with a holistic approach when it comes to health, the Union minister said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people worried more about India than their own countries and it was justified because of the condition of medical infrastructure and a disease for which the right treatment was yet to be found, he said.

"PM Modi did not fight alone but kept 130 crore people of the country together to fight and we emerged from it successfully. Doctors and paramedical staff put their life in peril to save people, and many even died in the process. For years the country will remain grateful to you for your efforts," he said.

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