GUWAHATI, Aug 30: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said the country’s healthcare sector has undergone a major transformation over the last decade, with focus on infrastructure, accessibility, affordability and innovation.
The expansion of the AIIMS network to different corners of the country has brought quality health services to the doorstep of people, he maintained.
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways was speaking at the inauguration of the INI Radiology Update 2025, organised by the Radiological Forum for Institutes of National Importance (INIs) in collaboration with AIIMS Guwahati, an official statement said.
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The conclave brought together radiologists, clinicians, researchers and scientists from across India and abroad.
Held under the theme ‘Advancing Imaging & Interventional Radiology’, the meet seeks to promote collaboration and innovation in radiology and allied disciplines.
The three-day INI Radiology Update 2025 will feature lectures, panel discussions and workshops on recent innovations in imaging, interventional radiology and artificial intelligence applications in healthcare.
Sonowal said the conclave is a landmark initiative that not only strengthens academic exchange but also reinforces India’s vision of accessible and innovative healthcare.
Highlighting the transformation of the country’s healthcare sector since 2014, he said the system has been reshaped from infrastructure to access, from affordability to innovation.
Noting the expansion of the AIIMS network, Sonowal said from seven such institutes in 2014, it has now increased to 23, including AIIMS-Guwahati, which has brought world-class healthcare to the doorstep of the people of the North East.
He also mentioned of schemes such as Ayushman Bharat–PM Jan Arogya Yojana, which has provided financial protection to over 55 crore citizens, and the Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana, which with more than 11,000 kendras has brought affordable medicines to millions of families.
Sonowal maintained that medical education has also witnessed expansion, with the number of colleges and MBBS seats more than doubling in the last decade, thereby addressing the shortage of doctors and specialists.
He said modern diagnostic facilities are being set up across AIIMS and district hospitals to strengthen early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer, stroke and cardiac conditions.
The Union minister also stressed the government’s focus on green and sustainable healthcare, citing AIIMS-Guwahati as a model of eco-friendly hospital design that reflects a balance between progress and environmental care.
He added that with improved connectivity, new medical institutions and enhanced healthcare schemes, the North East is poised to emerge as a medical hub of South East Asia. (PTI)
