NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Monday highlighted the growing importance of the care economy and telemedicine in strengthening India’s healthcare system, saying both sectors will play a key role in expanding services and creating new employment opportunities in the coming years.Addressing the fourth post-Budget webinar on ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas – Fulfilling Aspirations of People’, Modi said India must prepare its youth for emerging job opportunities in healthcare, digital technologies and innovation-driven sectors as demand for healthcare services expands both domestically and globally.“In the coming decade, the number of senior citizens in the country will increase rapidly. In addition, today there is a huge demand for caregivers in many countries. Therefore, the health sector is creating new skill-based employment opportunities for millions of youth,” Prime Minister Modi said, describing the care economy as an important area for future workforce growth.He urged experts and policymakers to work on new training models and partnerships that can strengthen the country’s health workforce and equip young people with skills required in caregiving and allied services.The PM also pointed to the growing role of telemedicine in widening healthcare access across the country. “Today a large number of people in remote areas are benefiting from telemedicine and their trust in it is increasing. However, there is still a need to increase awareness and ease of access,” he said.Modi noted that India is working on a broader vision centred on preventive and holistic healthcare, while expanding health infrastructure across the country. Over the past few years, healthcare capacity has increased with new medical colleges opening in hundreds of districts.He also cited the expansion of services through the Ayushman Bharat programme and the network of health and wellness centres, which are aimed at taking primary healthcare services closer to rural communities.Modi said fulfilling people’s aspirations requires strengthening sectors such as education, skills and health together.
