Union Health Minister, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda chaired a training and awareness program for 1,000 street food vendors conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in Vigyan Bhawan, here today. He was joined by Smt. Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.

Highlighting the importance of street food in India, Shri Nadda directed the FSSAI to waive off the registration fee of Rs. 100 for street food vendors. He said, “to encourage vendors and promote more and more registrations, FSSAI would waive off the Rs.100 registration fee for the street food vendors.”

The Union Health Minister said that “the innovative ‘Street Safe’ Rapid Testing Kit should be provided to all vendors attending the Food Safety and Certification (FoSTaC) trainings to ensure that safe food is used by the street food vendors across the country.” “In addition, we should focus on empowering the street food vendors by enrolling them on food delivery platforms to increase their reach to the consumers. I urge these platforms to support street food vendors by providing user-friendly technology solutions without imposing a financial burden,” he further said.

Shri Nadda encouraged the street food vendors to practically apply the training they received today, in their daily life so that our traditional street food culture remains safe for everyone to consume. He said, “It is my firm belief that if vendors apply safe practices and cleanliness, they will also see growth in their businesses.” He further said that the certificates that trained vendors receive from FSSAI will also boost their business as it will provide a source of reliability and trust among consumers.

The Union Health Minister emphasized the importance of both training and re-orientation programs for street food vendors. He also encouraged the street food vendors to take advantage of the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi) program to enhance their business further. Additionally, he also highlighted the commitment of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to build 100 street food streets in as many districts in the country.

During the event, the Union Health Minister launched a ‘SOP for Street Food Vendors’, which outlines critical dos and don’ts for maintaining hygiene and safety in street food preparation. He also inaugurated a dedicated portal for street food vendors, allowing them to share success stories and access resources on food safety (https://sfv.fssai.gov.in/).

Additionally, testimonials from trained vendors showcased the transformative effect of the training programme and highlighted its positive impact and relevance in the food safety landscape.

To educate the street food vendors and all other food handlers, a video on the usage of oil, milk and milk products, and waste disposal, was released at the event. The participant vendors were provided with testing kits for instant adulteration testing, further empowering them to uphold quality standards.

Smt Anupriya Patel in her address highlighted the government's commitment to enhancing food safety nationwide. She said, “street food is intrinsic to our culture. Street food is not just any meal but a tradition for Indian people. Be it basket chaat in Lucknow or kulhad chai in Varanasi, street food is linked to the identity of Indian cities.” “It is important to maintain the standards of hygiene and cleanliness by the vendors whose food is consumed by everyone. At the same time, it is also important to ensure regular testing of street food so that a safe and hygienic street food ecosystem is created in India”, she further added.

The Union Ministers also undertook a visit of the “Food Safety on Wheels” vehicle of FSSAI which has provisions for testing items like oil and milk on the go.

Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary highlighted the popularity of street food in India which is renowned across the world. He underlined the paramount importance of food safety that vendors must ensure for both hygiene and building their business further. He said that FSSAI is going to train one lakh street food vendors in the next one year through its FoSTaC program across the country.

The one-day training programme for 1,000 street food vendors from various regions of Delhi, covered a wide range of essential topics including personal hygiene, food handling, cooking practices, and waste management. Participants were also educated on the Food Safety and Standards Act, particularly focusing on the guidelines set forth in Schedule 4 regarding the licensing and registration of food businesses. This initiative aims to enhance the knowledge and practices of street food vendors, ensuring better food safety standards and public health. Street food vendors also took a pledge to keep their food, equipment and the surroundings clean and provide safe food to everyone.

The initiative marks a significant step in the FSSAI's ongoing efforts to enhance food safety across the nation, building on the successful training of over 18 lakhs food handlers through the FoSTaC program since its inception in 2017.

Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, FSSAI; Shri U S Dhyani, Executive Director, FSSAI and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present on the occasion.

“For India to become the global leader in drugs regulation to match our global reputation of ‘Pharmacy of the World’, we need to have world class regulatory framework matching our scale of operations and international expectations”. This was stated by Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda, as he reviewed the regulation of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices, here today. Union Health Secretary Shri Apurva Chandra, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi and senior officers of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and Union Health Ministry were present at the high level review meeting.

Highlighting the global position of India as the leading producer and exporter of drugs, Shri J P Nadda stressed on CDSCO to draw a roadmap with timelines of achieving global standards in its mandated activities. He stated that the upscaling needs to be systems-based focusing on highest standards of uniformity, technical upgradation and futuristic approach. For export of drugs and pharmaceuticals, the system should be designed for proper intervention to maintain the quality of drugs being exported, he emphasized.

Shri Nadda underscored the importance of transparency in the working of CDSCO. He stated that “In order to achieve global standards, our focus needs to be on transparency of procedures at CDCSO and within the drugs and medical devices industry”. Both the Drugs Regulatory body and the industry should work on highest principles of transparency to ensure that the products manufactured and sold by India meet the highest indices of global quality standards, he said.

The Union Health Minister stated that it is important for CDSCO to be in continuous dialogue with the drugs and medical devices industry to understand their issues and support them to fulfill the quality expectations and standards of CDSCO. “Our focus should be on developing mechanisms that ensure easy of doing business for the drugs industry within the regulatory requirements. For this, CDSCO needs to be a user-friendly organization with state-of-the-art facilities matching global standards”, he stated.

On the topic of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in drugs manufacturing and the issues faced by the small scale industries to meet quality standards, the Union Health Minister “Let us understand the issues faced by MSME sector and support them to strengthen their capacity and quality of products on the one hand, and encourage them to meet the regulatory requirements on the other.”

Shri Nadda was briefed about the mandated activities of CDSCO, its achievements, future plans and various issues and challenges faced by CDSCO. The Minister was also updated on the progress of the Scheme for strengthening state drug regulatory system with a budget of Rs.850 crores which was launched in 2016 during his earlier tenure.

The Union Minister was briefed on the roles and responsibilities of the central and state drugs regulatory bodies, and some of the challenges faced in alignment between them. Noting that the States are integral part of our regulatory value chain, Shri Nadda underscored the importance of working in tandem with the States so as to enhance their skills and capacities, and also encourage them to align with quality standards of the Central Government. “This is especially important in view of upgradation of Good Manufacturing Practices to global level embarked upon by CDSCO”, he added.

Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare chaired a high-level meeting on attaining targeted Health goals in the first 100 days of formation of new Government, with senior officials of the Union Health Ministry, here today. He was joined by Smt. Anupriya Patel and Shri Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao, Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare.

Taking stock of the overview of Ministry’s functioning, the Hon’ble Minister directed that emphasis should be given to quality of health facilities and health systems. He laid stress upon expansion of health assurance coverage under the AB PMJAY and leveraging technology in programmes like immunisation and health emergency response management . The Hon’ble Minister expressed his concern about growing incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases and the importance of awareness regarding healthy diet and lifestyle. The Union Health Minister highlighted the need for targeted campaigns towards the youth for tobacco control. He emphasized on the need for creating awareness on NCDs and harmful effects of tobacco in scientific as well as in simple language for the common man to understand.

Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary; Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, FSSAI; Ms. Deepti Gaur Mukherjee, CEO, NHA and other senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present in the meeting.

In view of demands made by certain States/UTs for construction of additional District/Referral hospitals (DH/RH) due to apprehension that the existing DH/RH which are being converted into Medical Colleges will stop receiving funding from NHM, Union Health Secretary Shri Apurva Chandra has written to States/UTs clarifying that all existing DH/RH which are being converted into Medical Colleges will continue their roles and obligations under the National Health Mission (NHM) and will continue to receive funding support from the Center under NHM.

There have been concerted efforts over the last nine years to increase the number of medical colleges. At present, there are 706 medical colleges in the country. In the last nine years, a total of 319 medical colleges have been added (including private medical colleges), leading to a 82 % increase in the establishment of medical colleges, since 2014. India’s medical education network has expanded multifold with more focus and investments towards professional education and quality. The focus has been on reaching the underserved areas and addressing the lack of accessibility. Globally, there has been a constant drive for improving the doctor population ratio to ensure better access to healthcare services.

A Centrally Sponsored Scheme to provide central funding support for opening new medical colleges by strengthening / upgrading the district hospitals was introduced in 2014 “Establishment of New Medical Colleges attached with existing District/Referral Hospitals”. Three phases of the Scheme have been implemented, to date, under which 157 colleges have been sanctioned in line with the objectives of increasing medical professionals. As of now, of these 157 medical colleges, 108 have already become functional. Of the 157 colleges approved, 40 are located in the aspirational districts enabling an impetus of investment in these districts.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda chaired a high-level meeting to review the dengue situation across the country and preparedness of public health system for prevention, containment and management of dengue in view of the onset of monsoon and the rise in dengue cases globally, here today.

The Union Health Minister was briefed on the nationwide dengue situation and preparedness of the Ministry. It was informed that the Dengue Case Fatality Rate has reduced from 3.3 % (1996) to 0.1 % in 2024 as a result of focused, timely and collaborative activities. Underlining the challenge posed by the onset of monsoon and the threat of increasing number of dengue cases during the rainy season, Shri Nadda emphasized the importance of being prepared against dengue. He directed the officials to gear up and strengthen prevention, containment and management measures against dengue.

Shri J P Nadda urged officials to primarily focus on high burden states and regions where outbreaks are frequently reported. He urged officials to proactively work with States to bring tangible results on dengue prevention. He particularly stressed on inter-ministerial convergence meeting involving Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Education Ministry and Municipal Corporations and local self govt. for sensitization on their roles and responsibilities for dengue prevention and control.

He stated that the Centre has been proactively communicating with the states on timely action for prevention and control of dengue activities. Various inter-sectoral meetings have been conducted to sensitize the stakeholders and ministries on their role and responsibilities on prevention and control of dengue. He informed that these activities will be further strengthen incoming years. “Union government has been over the period of time providing technical and budgetary support as a result of which the”.

Highlighting the importance of communication and awareness enhancement activities, the Health Minister stated that in order to sensitise communities regarding the ades mosquito which generally bites in the daytime, awareness campaign among school going children and others to wear clothes that keep the body fully covered, and keeping various water containers, pots etc., free of stagnant water will be taken up at a massive scale. A nationwide IEC campaign for awareness through TV, radio, social media etc., platforms will be taken up across the country.

The Union Health Minister directed for the officials to create a 24/7 central helpline number for dengue prevention and awareness, and support for queries on the symptoms, treatment protocols and help during emergency situation. States were also advised to operationalize similar Helpline numbers.

Shri Nadda has directed AIIMS and all central Govt hospitals to have dedicated dengue wards are fully equipped with trained manpower, drugs and other logistics. They have also been instructed to create a referral system to optimally utilize their clinical facilities.

Dr. Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) highlighted the need for sensitizing municipal bodies in states for preventing dengue outbreaks. He also suggested on improving coolers and tanks in buildings to make them immune from mosquito breeding.

The following measures have been taken for prevention, control and management of dengue across the country:

The Government of India have issued 14 advisories in 2024 for sensitization of States on preparedness for prevention and control of Dengue and Chikungunya. Various high-level meetings have been held to provide technical guidance to States from time to time.

For free diagnosis and disease surveillance, Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals increased from 110 in 2007 to 848 in 2024.

National Dengue Day is observed on 16th May across the Country to initiate pre-monsoon preventive activities.

Updated National guidelines of case management were released by the Union Health Minister on 10th August, 2023.

Master trainers from medical colleges and district hospitals were trained in four National level trainings on updated guidelines for improving clinical management and avert deaths due to Dengue.

Central teams are also deputed to States on regular basis for review of disease situation, actions taken by States and to provide technical guidance for containment of disease. Adequate diagnostic kits both for Dengue and Chikungunya have also been provided to the states.

Shri Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary; Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Addl. Secretary, Health Ministry; Smt. L S Changsan, Addl. Secretary, Health Ministry; Dr Atul Goel, DGHS, Smt. Vandana Jain, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry; Prof. M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS New Delhi; Dr. Sarita Beri, Director, Lady Hardinge Medical College; Dr. Vandana Talwar, Medical Superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital; Dr. Ajay Shukla, Medical Superintendent, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital; Dr Tanu Jain, Director, NCVBDC, Health Ministry and other senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present in the meeting.

Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, visited the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Vijaypur in Jammu today. Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science & Technology; Ministry of Earth Sciences; Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy and Space, Shri Jugal Kishore Sharma, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha and Member of Institute Body, AIIMS Jammu; Shri Gulam Ali Khatana, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Nadda said that “under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, not just health, but every sector has experienced immense growth”. He added that “Shri Narendra Modi has brought a new wave of comprehensive development into Jammu & Kashmir, advancing the state towards prosperity and growth”.

The Union Health Minister emphasized that it is important to foster collaborative synergy among various branches of medical sciences. He added that both allopathy and Ayurveda possess distinct significance and strengths, complementing each other to enhance healthcare outcomes.

Addressing the Faculty, Residents, Staff and Students of AIIMS Jammu, Shri Nadda encouraged the faculty to persist in their pursuit of knowledge, service and research. The Minister commended their dedication and hard work, emphasizing the importance of continued excellence and innovation in healthcare and education.

He remarked, “AIIMS Jammu is an institution that embodies the aspirations and dreams of countless individuals. It’s a beacon of hope not only for the people of J&K, but also for that of Leh, and other neighboring states like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh”. He assured all the possible help and support to the institution in ensuring better healthcare access for millions. He emphasized that skill & talent should never be compromised and exalted the faculty to work tirelessly to develop an “AIIMS culture which is an amalgam of selflessness, dedication, competency, integrity, innovation and trust.

The Union Minister along with other dignitaries visited various facilities including the Digital Library with e-books, e-journals apart from hard copies of books & professional journals. The distinguished features showcased at the library included carrels for research work, state-of-the-art digital dashboard, automated book issue and deposit device and the RFID security gate at the entrance of the Digital Library.

The Union Health Minister also visited the modern Lecture Theatres for student with state-of-the-art Smart Boards, special features of which were demonstrated to the dignitaries. He expressed his happiness that AIIMS Jammu is incorporating technology advancements in pedagogy at AIIMS Jammu.

The Minister also inspected the Outpatient Department (OPD), including the registration counters and “Indoor Navigation System” for patients.

During the visit, the Union Health Minister observed the world-class facilities and services available to the people of Jammu & Kashmir. He said that with its skilled doctors and aspiring medical professionals, AIIMS Vijaypur is set to enhance healthcare facilities in the region.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has not yet notified the counselling schedule of NEET UG and PG courses for the year 2024.

The counselling schedule for NEET UG and PG is announced by MCC on its website on the basis of completion of the exam process and finalisation of seat matrix by National Medical Commission (NMC). In the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, the counselling for UG seats commenced on 19/1/2022, 11/10/2022 and 20/7/2023 respectively.

For the year 2024 NMC has communicated its schedule for finalisation of the seat matrix for UG and PG seats in the last week of June indicating that it will finalise the UG seat matrix by third week of July and PG seat matrix by mid-August. MCC will accordingly notify the counselling schedule.

Therefore, it is clarified that MCC has not yet notified the counselling schedule for the year 2024.

National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), an autonomous body of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, conducted the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) for 35,819 candidates, today.

The examination has been conducted in 71 centres, spread across 50 cities in 21 states. As a measure towards stringent examination security, NBEMS appointed more than 250 appraisers to supervise the conduct of examination. This was further augmented with a flying squad comprising of 45 faculty members.

As directed by Union Health Minister, Director General of Health Services (DGHS), MoHFW and other Institutions had also deputed a senior person at all the examination centres. No untoward incident has been reported anywhere and the NBEMS will declare the result of today’s FMGE in due course.

The 33rd Partnership for Maternal, Newborn &Child Health (PMNCH) board meeting commenced on 4th July’2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting will conclude on 5th July’2024.

Delivering the keynote address in the opening session of the Board meeting through video message, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Vice Chair to the PMNCH Board, Shri. Jagat Prakash Nadda commended PMNCH for its commitment to the wellbeing of the women, children and adolescents and reiterated the Government of India’s assurance to advancing this issue and fostering meaningful youth engagement. He underscored the importance of continuing the focus on accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and preparing for post 2030 agenda. He further emphasized on the power of partnership and multiple stakeholders working in unison towards attainment of the common goals.

Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Addl. Secretary and Mission Director (NHM), Health Ministry is leading the Indian delegation at the 33rd Board Meeting of PMNCH in Geneva.

Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) is the world’s largest alliance committed to protecting and promoting the health, well-being and rights of women, children and adolescents. PMNCH’s vision is a world in which every woman, child and adolescent realizes their right to health and well-being, leaving no one behind. PMNCH is governed by a Board and administered by a Secretariat hosted by World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 33rd PMNCH Board meeting will provide an opportunity for the Board members to agree on major priorities and opportunities for PMNCH to advance Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and adolescent well being goals in the final period of our current 2021-2025 strategy. It will also initiate discussion on priorities for the development of the 2026-2030 PMNCH Strategy, including how PMNCH should position its issues and itself in relation to post-2030 UN development goal-setting process.

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda will unveil three initiatives at the आयुष्मान भारत गुणवत्त स्वास्थ्य event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 28th June 2024, in presence of Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao and Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel.

The Union Health Minister will launch a virtual NQAS assessment for Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) Sub-centres. This will represent a significant innovation in the quality assurance framework for public health facilities as a time and cost-saving measure. Through this system, the virtually assessed health AAM-SC will be conferred with the NQAS ( National Quality Assurance Standards) certificate.

The Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) guidelines, introduced in 2007 and updated periodically with the latest update in 2022, set quality benchmarks for public health facilities from primary to secondary level health care facilities. These standards ensure consistent, accessible, and accountable healthcare services nationwide. All public health institutions are encouraged to carry out assessments and strive towards bridging the identified gaps.

To expedite this process and support these health institutions, the Health Ministry has developed a dashboard that will aid the national, state and district health institutions and health facilities in quickly monitoring compliance with respect to IPHS standards and taking action accordingly. Union Health Minister will launch the IPHS dashboard during the event tomorrow.

National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) for Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL) , located at District Hospitals, will be released during the event. The Standards will improve the quality and competence of management and testing systems in IPHLs which will positively impact the reliability of test results and help gain the trust of clinicians, patients and the public regarding lab outputs. Revised guidelines for Kayakalp will also be released tomorrow.

A ground-breaking new functionality for the instant issuance of licenses and registrations through the Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS) will also be launched. FoSCoS is a state-of-the-art, pan-India IT platform designed to address all food safety regulatory needs. This innovative system simplifies the licensing and registration processes, offering an enhanced user experience.

Key stakeholders, including senior officials from Central and State Governments, healthcare providers, and international health organisations will also attend the event.

The event can be watched live at: https://youtube.com/live/CBrN_eFOqtQ?feature=share