Raipur. Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal stated that the state government is continuously working to ensure access to quality health services in remote and vulnerable areas. He added that the Chief Minister's Swasth Bastar Campaign, particularly in the Bastar region, has yielded positive results, providing access to health services to millions of people and enabling timely identification and treatment of serious illnesses.

In a press conference held in Raipur, Health Minister Jaiswal stated that under the Chief Minister's Healthy Bastar Campaign, health checkups were conducted on over 34.29 lakh citizens, which is approximately 99 percent of the targeted population. During the campaign, malaria, tuberculosis, sickle cell, leprosy, oral cancer, and other serious diseases were identified and timely treatment was initiated. Over 60,000 serious patients were referred to higher health institutions, and special monitoring and treatment was ensured for 10,938 high-risk pregnant women.

He said that after some cases of malaria were reported in recent days, the Health Department is working with utmost vigilance. State health workers, Mitanins, ANMs, and field staff are reaching out to villages to conduct testing, treatment, surveys, and public awareness activities. The department is making continuous efforts to control and eradicate malaria. The Health Minister stated that our goal is to ensure that no deaths occur due to malaria. To this end, special emphasis is being placed on timely testing, prompt treatment, continuous monitoring, and community awareness.

He stated that as a result of strategic action planning, continuous monitoring, and public participation, the malaria positivity rate in Bastar division has decreased from 4.60 percent to 0.48 percent. The state's Annual Parasite Index (API) has also decreased from 5.21 to 0.90. This achievement reflects the Health Department's continued efforts towards malaria control.

Providing information about maternal and child health services, the Health Minister stated that over 11.89 lakh institutional deliveries have taken place in the state in the last two and a half years. Through the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, regular specialist checkups for pregnant women, identification of high-risk pregnancies, and necessary treatment are being ensured.

To further strengthen emergency health services, 375 new 108 Sanjeevani Express ambulances have been operationalized in the state. Between January 2024 and June 2026, more than 650,000 citizens were provided timely emergency health services, ensuring prompt medical assistance in accidents, childbirth, and other emergencies.

The Health Minister stated that to ensure access to quality testing facilities, modern pathology testing services are being provided in 1,051 health institutions across the state in collaboration with the IHSSC Spamibantam Spupjamak. Through a hub-and-spoke model, IT-based reporting systems, and quality monitoring systems, citizens in remote areas are also receiving reliable and timely testing services.

He stated that along with the expansion of health services, special attention is also being paid to developing trained human resources. In this regard, paramedical courses will be introduced in all 10 medical colleges in the state. This will provide the necessary technical and paramedical human resources to health institutions and provide new opportunities for employment-oriented education and training in the health sector to the youth of the state.

During the press conference, the Health Minister also took a strict stance on food safety, directing an effective ban on the use and sale of analog cheese in the state. He stated that providing safe and quality food to the general public is the government's priority, and that violations of food safety standards will be prosecuted as per the law.