Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India’s vision for health does not only mean the lack of illness, “Our goal is wellness and welfare for everyone.”

PM Modi said this while inaugurating the 6th Edition of ‘One Earth One Health – Advantage Healthcare India – 2023’ at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi via video conferencing today. “India’s view of health does not stop at the lack of illness. Our goal is wellness and welfare for everyone. Our goal is physical, mental and social well-being,” PM said.

Prime Minister highlighted the nation’s inclusive vision and mentioned that India’s vision for health was universal even when there were no global pandemics thousands of years ago.

“Our vision is not restricted to just humans. It extends to our whole ecosystem. From plants to animals, from soil to rivers, when everything around us is healthy, we can be healthy”, the Prime Minister said.

“Even thousands of years ago when there were no global pandemics, India’s vision for health has always been universal. Today when we say ‘One Earth One Health’ it is the same thought in action,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that the world has witnessed the impact of Indian doctors, nurses and caregivers and they are widely respected for their competence, commitment and talent.

“India has many strengths when it comes to holistic healthcare, We have talent, we have the technology, we have the track record and we have tradition. India is proud to have been a partner to many nations in the noble mission of saving lives through vaccines and medicines,” said PM Modi.

“India has tremendous diversity in culture, climate and social dynamics”, the Prime Minister remarked as he noted the training and diverse experiences of healthcare professionals in India. He further added that Indian healthcare talent has won the world’s trust due to their exceptional skills that can meet the needs of different situations.

The Prime Minister threw light on the Ayushman Bharat Scheme and said that it is the world’s largest Government funded health insurance coverage scheme. PM informed that it covers the medical treatments of over 500 million Indian citizens where more than 40 million have already availed the services in a cashless and paperless manner resulting in the citizens saving nearly 7 billion dollars.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister stressed that the global response to healthcare challenges cannot be isolated and it is now time for an integrated, inclusive and institutional response.

“This is one of our focus areas during our G20 presidency. Our goal is to make healthcare accessible and affordable, not only for our citizens but for the whole world”, the Prime Minister said as he underlined that India’s priority is reducing disparity, and serving the unserved is an article of faith for the country.

The Prime Minister expressed optimism that this gathering will strengthen global partnerships in this direction, and sought the partnership of other nations on the common agenda of ‘One Earth-One Health’.