All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday said that as India prepares for the possibility of a third wave of COVID-19 infections and deals with the new variants of coronavirus like Delta Plus, there is a need to strengthen the public health care system of the country.
"As we now prepare for the possibility of the third wave and new variants like Delta Plus, it's important to see what we can do. We need to look ahead and see how we can strengthen our public health system, focusing on lessons we've learnt from past," Dr Randeep Guleria was quoted as saying news agency ANI.
"This is important not because of the current pandemic situation but because of what last 15 years have shown us that for the future, we will have to be prepared for ongoing outbreaks and pandemics," the AIIMS director added.
While addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Public health summit virtually, Dr Guleria said India's Public health policy has been designed to provide a standard of care as a package to population up to the primary health level.
He said that the basic aim is to have equitable access to healthcare even in rural and remote areas of the country for everyone who needs it.
Dr Guleria said that with changing times, we have to change our public health system. “One of the steps was Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY which has made a huge difference as far as health care is concerned," he added.
