Mann Ki Baat@100: Modi’s Holistic Approach to Health in Iconic Radio Show | All You Need to Know

Healthcare has been a primary focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ with him inspiring people to take up yoga and advocating India’s time-honoured traditions such as ayurveda.

The prime minister has addressed a wide array of health-related topics, underscoring the significance of adopting a healthy lifestyle and practising preventive healthcare. He has also applauded numerous health victories – from battling diseases like kala-azar to setting ambitious targets to eradicate tuberculosis by 2025.

Through his radio programme, which is completing 100 episodes on April 30, Prime Minister Modi has even showcased remarkable achievements in healthcare – Manav Mandir in Himachal Pradesh, which treats muscular dystrophy, and ayurvedic treatment at Sreedhareeyam that restored the eyesight of the daughter of Kenya’s former prime minister.

He has emphasised on initiatives like Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat, Jan Aushadhi and Ayushman Bharat, which underline the Centre’s commitment to making healthcare accessible as well as affordable. The PM has also drawn attention to the growth of medical education infrastructure through the establishment of new AIIMS facilities and medical colleges.

The World Health Organisation has praised PM Modi for addressing mental health issues in his radio programme, where he has talked about depression and the value of mental well-being.

The central government has invited ideas from the public to celebrate the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, and the last date of submission is April 27. The radio show, which began on Vijayadashami in October 2014, has completed 99 editions to date.

Here are some of instances from Mann Ki Baat episodes, where Modi is discussing healthcare:

1. In only the second episode of Mann Ki Baat, Modi shared about 10 children – Nidhi Baipotu, Monish Joshi, Devanshi Rawat, Tanush Jain, Harsh Devdharkar, Anant Tiwari, Preeti Nag, Atharva Deshmukh, Aronyatesh Ganguli and Hrithik Alaamandaa – who fought and overcame cancer.
2. In his first episode for 2018, the PM spoke about Jan Aushadhi centres offering medicines that are 50 to 90 percent cheaper than branded drugs in the market. This is beneficial for the public, especially for senior citizens, and results in significant savings.
3. In another episode from 2018, Modi highlighted different initiatives of the central government to make healthcare more accessible and affordable – Jan Aushadhi centres, reduction in the cost of heart stents and knee implants, Ayushman Bharat that provides Rs 5 lakh for treatment to around 50 crore people per year. He also talks about an increase in MBBS seats in medical colleges, opening of a new AIIMS, and the goal of making the country tuberculosis-free by 2025. Additionally, he shared 3D animated videos of his own yoga practice sessions, encouraging people to practice yoga for better health.
4. In the 91st episode, Modi also highlighted the ongoing fight against Covid-19 and the importance of holistic healthcare. Indian traditional methods, including ayurveda and Indian medicine, have played a crucial role in the fight against the pandemic with AYUSH playing an important role globally.
5. For the 87th episode, PM Modi talked about growing interest in holistic healthcare and traditional Indian medicine like ayurveda, which played a significant role in the fight against Covid-19. The Ayush industry has witnessed record growth, with investment proposals of about Rs 10,000 crore received in the recent ‘Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit’.
6. Modi also talked about the success of the Covid vaccination drive. He said many people had written to him asking about how much faith he had in the campaign and how it achieved so much success. He attributed this success to the capabilities of the country and its people, especially healthcare workers who worked tirelessly to ensure maximum vaccination coverage.
7. In one of the episodes, Modi shared examples of those who had dedicated their lives to the welfare of society, especially in the healthcare sector. He mentioned Sulagitti Narsamma, a midwife from Karnataka, who was recently honoured with the Padma Shri for aiding pregnant women during childbirth. He also talked about doctors from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, who had set up camps offering free treatment to underprivileged patients every month. The PM also praised collective efforts that made the Swachh Bharat Mission successful, citing an example of over three lakh people who recently came together to work for the sanitation campaign at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
8. Modi mentioned the success of Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana, a scheme that provides affordable and quality medicines.
9. He also discussed the impact of Covid-19 on healthcare and wellness awareness in India. He mentioned the abundance of natural products in India and shared examples of those who have made unique contributions to this field – such as Patayat Sahu who planted medicinal saplings on 1.5 acres of land and documented them, and a team of women in Deori village who have undergone training in aloe vera cultivation and linked agriculture with health by selling the plant to companies making sanitisers. The PM praised their efforts as an example of how agriculture can be linked with health.
10. Modi spoke about the eSanjeevani app, which has played a significant role in digital healthcare. The app allows tele-consultation, which means people can consult doctors from the comfort of their homes through video conferencing. The number of consultations through the app has crossed 10 crore, making it a great achievement for India.
11. Modi has also spoken about the Manav Mandir Centre for muscular dystrophy in Himachal Pradesh, which uses hi-tech facilities to bring a positive change in the lives of patients.
12. Modi had an emotional meeting with his friend, former Kenyan PM Raila Odinga, who shared the story of his daughter’s struggle with a brain tumour and losing her eyesight after surgery. Odinga tried treatments at hospitals across the world until someone suggested ayurveda treatment in India. They went to an ayurvedic hospital in Kerala, where the treatment worked wonders for Rosemary and she regained her eyesight. Odinga was deeply touched and wished to bring ayurveda to Kenya to help more people benefit from it.

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