Transforming India’s health landscape: An analysis of PM Modi’s innovative health care policies across three tenures

Since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership has marked a transformative shift in India’s approach to healthcare. The government has sought to make healthcare not just a service, but a right that reaches the remotest corners of the nation.

- DR. BENAZIR PATIL

Each tenure of PM Modi has introduced new priorities and innovations in policy, implementation, and technology adoption, ensuring that healthcare becomes more accessible, affordable, and inclusive. The trajectory of his policies can be best understood by examining them across three distinct phases: 2014 to 2019; 2019 to 2024; and the ongoing 2024 onwards period.

The first tenure from 2014 to 2019 was characterized by laying the foundation of universal healthcare, emphasizing sanitation, insurance, and maternal and child health. The second tenure, spanning 2019 to 2024, witnessed consolidation and scaling up of existing schemes, while also facing the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested the resilience of India’s health system. The third phase, 2024 onwards, has signalled a renewed focus on technology, preventive care, and global leadership in health innovation.

When Narendra Modi assumed office in May 2014, India’s healthcare system was grappling with structural issues, low public spending, high out-of-pocket expenditure, and limited reach in rural areas. His government's first step was to strengthen the foundational aspects of healthcare delivery. One of the most notable initiatives was the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, launched on October 2, 2014. While primarily a sanitation drive, it had significant health implications. By focusing on eliminating open defecation, building more than 110 million toilets, and improving waste management, the initiative directly reduced the incidence of diarrheal diseases and improved maternal and child health outcomes. According to UNICEF reports, villages that became open defecation-free saw a marked decline in diarrheal diseases among children.