The focus on mental health for all and women’s well being is evident in the BJP manifesto, or the ‘Sankalp Patra’, launched on Sunday for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The ambitious manifesto promises a cervical cancer campaign for women as well as expanding mental health initiatives like Manas and Manodarpan.
“We will expand the existing health services to focus on the prevention and reduction of anaemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer and osteoporosis, ensuring a healthy life for women. We will launch a focused initiative to eliminate cervical cancer,” the manifesto document said.
Among the BJP’s other major promises is expanding the Ayushman Bharat scheme to elderly persons above the age of 70 years, including those belonging to the middle classes, with free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. The manifesto also spells out plans to encourage and extend support to domestic vaccine manufacturers and biopharma companies.
Moving forward, the manifesto stressed that “in our increasingly complex society, mental well-being has emerged as a top priority.” “We will strengthen our traditional means, including yoga and meditation, and also enhance the scope and coverage of mental health initiatives like Manas and Manodarpan,” it added.
Trauma care
The BJP said it will launch an emergency and trauma care mission to provide immediate and effective care to trauma patients. “Strengthening the ongoing programmes for disease eradication, we will intensify existing efforts to ensure the elimination of TB (tuberculosis), leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, measles and rubella, trachoma, and kala-azar by facilitating timely testing and access to medicines,” the manifesto document said, adding that, “Modi’s guarantee is to further increase these efforts for a healthy India”.
Boosting AIIMS, medical education
The document said the BJP, if it returns to power, will strengthen India’s premier healthcare institution, AIIMS. “We have established 15 AIIMS in the last decade to provide affordable and quality healthcare. We will strengthen our network… to provide quality healthcare across the country,” it said.
The saffron party has also promised to increase seats in medical education so that India can have more doctors, with an aim at ending the shortage of healthcare professionals in rural and urban areas.
“Through the increased number of AIlMS and various medical colleges, we will increase the number of undergraduate and postgraduate seats in medical education,” it added.
Strengthening existing schemes
The document said the government is already upgrading secondary and primary healthcare under Ayushman Bharat. It promised that the party will further strengthen the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and upgrade district hospitals and other secondary healthcare centres by expanding the full functionality of all packages for comprehensive healthcare.
The manifesto promised to expand Jan Aushadhi Kendras, which are a chain of outlets selling inexpensive generic medicines. “We will expand the Jan Aushadhi Kendra network to provide high-quality and low-cost medicines to citizens across the country,” it said.
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