India Screens 42 Crore for Hypertension, Diagnoses 7.3 Crore Cases: Nadda, ETHealthworld
New Delhi: More than 42 crore Indians have been screened for hypertension, resulting in the diagnosis of over 7.3 crore cases, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda underscored the scale of India’s population-based screening programme for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Speaking at the 10th Convocation of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said large-scale population screening through over 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs is strengthening India’s preventive healthcare ecosystem by enabling early detection and timely treatment of non-communicable diseases.
Sharing the latest screening data, Nadda informed that more than 42 crore people have been screened for hypertension, leading to the diagnosis of over 7.3 crore cases. Similarly, over 42 crore individuals have undergone diabetes screening, with nearly 5 crore cases detected. Screening for oral cancer has covered more than 35 crore people, identifying over 2.3 lakh cases. Among women, breast cancer screening has reached over 16 crore beneficiaries, resulting in the detection of more than 86,000 cases, while over 9 crore women have been screened for cervical cancer, leading to the diagnosis of around one lakh cases.Nadda said these figures demonstrate how timely screening and early diagnosis are strengthening preventive healthcare and enabling better treatment outcomes.
Addressing the graduating students at ILBS, he highlighted on the expansion of India’s medical education capacity. He said the country now has 818 medical colleges, up from 387, while undergraduate medical seats have increased from around 50,000 to over 1.2 lakh. Postgraduate medical seats have also expanded from approximately 30,000 to more than 80,000.
Referring to the government’s target of adding 75,000 MBBS seats over five years, he said nearly 25,000 additional undergraduate seats have already been created.
Nadda also noted that the country now has 23 AIIMS, compared with one at the turn of the century, alongside the expansion of specialist medical education and healthcare infrastructure.
During his address, the union minister praised ILBS for its contribution to liver disease care and for increasing public awareness about fatty liver disease, saying the institute has played a key role in advancing research, patient care and education in hepatology.
Urging the graduating doctors to uphold medical ethics and compassion, Nadda said that super-speciality education comes with the responsibility to serve society and strengthen India’s healthcare system.
