Health tech centres key to reinforcing affordable healthcare in India: J.P. Nadda

New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) The Health Technology Assessment (HTA), part of the Department of Health Research (DHR) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is playing a crucial role in reinforcing the government’s motto of affordable, equitable and accessible healthcare for all, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said here on Saturday.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the third International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (ISHTA 2025) at Bharat Mandapam, J.P. Nadda emphasised the vision and commitment of the government to strengthening India’s healthcare system and ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare for all.

“The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is playing a critical role in advancing evidence-based policy-making to build an efficient, equitable, and high-quality health system, aligned with the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” Nadda said.

The Union Health Minister noted that HTA India resource centres are spread over 19 states in India “which serves as an important mechanism for priority setting and has helped immensely in achieving various health goals such as for TB detection, optimising healthcare costs and incorporating evidence-based data in national health programmes”.

Noting that much emphasis has been laid boost primary, secondary as well as tertiary healthcare in the country, Nadda said the “government is focused on providing health care, which is preventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative”.

He stated that 22 state-of-the-art AIIMS has been established till now and there has been a substantial increase in MBBS and MD seats along with an increase in training of paramedic and nursing staff.

J.P Nadda said that the government will also create 75,000 seats in the medical sector with 30,000 seats already created last year.

During the event, Nadda also released several key resources, including the Patent Mitra initiative, developed under the guidance of NITI Aayog and in partnership with the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), and supported by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

“Our country is taking a significant leap towards supporting our innovators. The platform is designed to provide crucial support to the scientists, researchers, and institutions ensuring that their ground-breaking works are protected through patents and made available to the public through seamless technology transfer,” he stated.

The Medical Innovations Patent Mitra will support ICMR Institutes, ICMR Extramural Grantees as well as Medical Colleges/Institutes.

It offers a comprehensive range of services, including patentability assessment, patent filing in India, and assistance with patent prosecution. The initiative also supports technology transfer, providing handholding for the transfer of innovations to industry partners through mechanisms like the Med Tech “Mela” and paperless Expression of Interest (EOI) processes.

–IANS

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