Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that cardiovascular health and diabetes have been identified as major health concerns among the forces emphasising that the government is committed to inducting modern technology, and healthcare for the defence forces.
The Defence Minister was addressing senior doctors at the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) fellowship convocation ceremony 2024 in Lucknow.
“The primary area of concern is the health of our forces which need to be reviewed from time to time; in which Cardiovascular and Diabetes are seen as major contributors,” Singh said.
He added that one of the most vulnerable and challenging parts is to keep the entire Defence Force disease-free, as they are vulnerable owing to being on the battleground and facing war injuries along with peacetime operational injuries. Keeping the entire defence force healthy is an imperative pre-requisite of the government.
The government of India has earmarked Rs.6.2 lakh crores in the Union Budget of 2024-25 as the Defence Budget, which is being used for the overall upkeep of the forces encompassing the upgradation of capacity building, induction of modern technology, and the healthcare of the defence forces, he added.
The Union Minister said that the government is not only working to eradicate Diabetes and Cardiovascular diseases but also to prevent the population from falling into their ambit.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has been very keenly focussing right since 2014 on eradicating not only these twin diseases (Diabetes and Cardio Vascular Diseases) and the others that are causing huge threats to society but are also working continuously to prevent the population from falling into their ambit. The Union Government has been rolling out various public health and family welfare schemes”, he said.
“Artificial Intelligence-powered tools can enhance risk prediction, personalize treatment approaches, and optimize clinical decision-making. AI has the potential to extend the reach of preventive cardiology to larger segments of the population by enabling efficient screening, early identification of high-risk individuals, and customized preventive strategies”, Singh added.
Highlighting various health and welfare schemes launched by the Centre, the Union Minister said that the government is committed to doing its best to make India a healthy nation.
“The Union Government has been rolling out various Public Health and Family welfare schemes from time to time namely Ayushman Bharat, PM Jan Arogya Yojana, National Tobacco Control Programme, National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS). While the government is always committed to doing its best with a view of making India a healthy nation spanning across generations,” he said. (ANI)
