India setting new benchmarks in medical research: Rajnath Singh

Lucknow: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asserted that India is setting new benchmarks in medical research and developing indigenous solutions to global health challenges through gene therapy and nuclear medicine. India’s health system is also emerging as more self-reliant, he said addressing the 22nd convocation ceremony of the King George’s Medical University, Lucknow. “Today, India’s health system has emerged as more self-reliant, accessible, affordable, modern and people-centric as compared to earlier times. Today, India is developing indigenous solutions to global health challenges through gene therapy, nuclear medicine, and other modern technologies,” Singh said. The Lok Sabha MP said the country’s scientists have successfully demonstrated an indigenous gene therapy for the treatment of haemophilia, while scientists at an institute in Pune have developed a state-of-the-art nanomedicine for treating breast cancer. The ‘Production Linked Incentive’ scheme, he said, has given fresh momentum to the indigenous manufacturing of medical equipment. “In 2024, we developed Nafithromycin — the first indigenous macrolide antibiotic. It will prove highly effective in the treatment of Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia. Today, India is rapidly advancing towards self-reliance in the health sector. In 2023, we developed the first indigenous MRI machine which is affordable, lightweight, ultrafast, and high-field,” Singh said. The minister noted that people across the country are receiving high-quality medicines at very affordable prices through more than 19,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras. Singh also asked medical professionals to take care of their health, noting that they were work in a highly stressful environment, which can negatively impact their health. He said under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, healthcare services in Uttar Pradesh have also seen significant improvement over the past nine years. Prior to 2017, there were only 17 medical colleges in the state while today, 81 medical colleges are operational across the state. Two AIIMS are also functional in the state which means Uttar Pradesh has now surpassed the ‘One District-One Medical College’ milestone, he said. “The quality of healthcare services can only improve if there is an adequate number of doctors and specialists available. With this vision in mind, our government has undertaken an unprecedented expansion of medical education,” Singh said.