Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has described preventive healthcare as the future of India's healthcare system, stressing the need to focus on prevention and early detection as disease patterns, treatment costs and the country's ageing population change. Speaking at the inauguration of a Mahajan Imaging and Labs facility, Singh said non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, kidney failure and mental health disorders were emerging as significant health concerns. He said these conditions generally develop gradually, making early identification of warning signs crucial.

Singh said indicators such as elevated blood sugar, high cholesterol, fatty liver and borderline blood pressure should be treated as early warnings rather than ignored. He argued that preventive healthcare also made economic sense because advanced illnesses can require treatment costing lakhs of rupees, while routine health checks, screening, lifestyle counselling and basic medicines can cost considerably less. He said governments, insurance companies and employers would increasingly have an interest in preventing diseases or detecting them at an early stage as healthcare expenditure rises.

The Defence Minister said India's demographic transition made preventive healthcare even more important, noting that although the country currently has a predominantly young population, the proportion of elderly citizens is expected to increase substantially by 2050. He warned that failing to shift towards prevention could place greater pressure on hospitals in the future. Calling preventive healthcare a matter of "national economy and national security", Singh said healthcare should extend beyond treating diseases to include prevention, risk assessment, early diagnosis and personalised care.

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Singh also highlighted the growing role of technology in healthcare, pointing to artificial intelligence, advanced medical imaging, molecular diagnostics, digital pathology, automation, genomics and data-driven systems. However, he cautioned that technology alone cannot determine the quality of healthcare. He stressed the importance of protecting sensitive patient information, ensuring transparency in AI applications, preventing algorithmic bias and maintaining patient safety. According to Singh, maintaining patients' trust should remain a central responsibility for healthcare professionals and institutions.

The minister said India has a strong base of doctors, scientists, engineers and researchers, supported by a growing digital ecosystem and startup sector, giving the country an opportunity to become a leader in healthcare innovation. He also highlighted government initiatives aimed at expanding access to affordable healthcare, including Ayushman Bharat, which he described as the world's largest health insurance programme. Singh said around 35 crore people had received treatment through the scheme, while Uttar Pradesh had more than five crore beneficiaries enrolled and over 80 lakh people had availed themselves of its benefits.

Singh also pointed to the expansion of medical infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, saying the state now has more than 45 medical colleges compared with 12 before 2017, while MBBS and postgraduate seats have increased more than threefold. He said the success of any government should ultimately be measured by whether its benefits reach people at the grassroots level. Concluding his address, Singh expressed confidence that Uttar Pradesh would become one of India's leading states in healthcare and said, "A healthy society builds a strong nation."

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