Sitharaman emphasised the government's plans to set up more medical colleges and said that the government aims to serve the people through improved healthcare services.

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her interim budget speech on Thursday, said that the government will encourage vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.

“Our government will encourage vaccination for girls in the age group of 9-14 years to prevent cervical cancer,” Sitharaman said while presenting the interim budget 2024 in the Lok Sabha.

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Sitharaman emphasised the government’s plans to set up more medical colleges and said that the government aims to serve the people through improved healthcare services.

“Several youth are ambitious to get qualified as doctors. They aim to serve our people through improved healthcare services. Our government plans to set up more medical colleges by utilising the existing hospital infrastructure under various departments. A committee for this purpose will be set up to examine the issues and make relevant recommendations,” she added.

The Finance Minister further said that the health coverage under the Ayushman Bharat scheme will be extended to all ASHA and Anganwadi workers and helpers.

Noting that various schemes for maternal and child care will be brought under one comprehensive programme for synergy in implementation, she said, “Upgradation of anganwadi centres under “Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0″ will be expedited for improved nutrition delivery, early childhood care and development.” “The newly designed U-WIN platform for managing immunization and intensified efforts of Mission Indradhanush will be rolled out expeditiously throughout the country,” she added.

The ‘Ayushman Bhav’ initiative is envisaged to saturate all health care services in every village or town in line with the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure reach to the last mile and enable access to health care services for everyone in society.

‘Ayushman Bhav’ initiative involves a set of interventions that include ‘Ayushman – Apke Dwar 3.0’, ‘Ayushman Sabhas’, ‘Ayushman Melas-at Health and Wellness Level and Medical Camps by Medical Colleges at CHCs’, and eventually ensuring Gram/Nagar Panchayat or Urban Ward to attain the status of ‘Ayushman Panchayat’ or ‘Ayushman Urban Ward’ in saturation mode.