Over 34 lakh people screened under Chief Minister’s Healthy Bastar Campaign; State orders strict enforcement against analogue paneer
TFP Bureau, Raipur, July 30, 2026: Chhattisgarh Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal on Thursday said the state government has intensified its efforts to eliminate malaria with the goal of achieving zero deaths, while highlighting the success of the Chief Minister’s Healthy Bastar Campaign, under which more than 34 lakh people have been screened across the Bastar region.
Addressing a press conference in Raipur, Shri Jaiswal said the government remains committed to providing quality healthcare services in remote and sensitive areas. He said the health campaign has significantly strengthened disease detection and treatment in Bastar, benefiting nearly 99 percent of the targeted population.
According to the Minister, over 34.29 lakh people underwent health screening during the campaign, leading to the early identification of diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease, leprosy and oral cancer. More than 60,000 patients with serious illnesses were referred to higher medical centres for advanced treatment, while 10,938 high-risk pregnant women were placed under special medical monitoring.
Highlighting the state’s anti-malaria efforts, Shri Jaiswal said health workers, Mitanins, ANMs and field teams are conducting village-level screening, treatment, awareness campaigns and surveys to prevent the spread of the disease. He stressed that timely diagnosis, immediate treatment, continuous monitoring and community participation remain the key pillars of the state’s malaria control strategy.
The Health Minister said sustained interventions have resulted in a sharp decline in malaria cases. The malaria positivity rate in the Bastar division has dropped from 4.60 percent to 0.48 percent, while the state’s Annual Parasitic Index (API) has declined from 5.21 to 0.90, reflecting significant progress in malaria control.
Sharing achievements in maternal and child healthcare, Shri Jaiswal said more than 11.89 lakh institutional deliveries have been recorded in the state over the past two-and-a-half years. Under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, pregnant women are receiving regular specialist check-ups, timely identification of high-risk pregnancies and appropriate medical care.
To strengthen emergency healthcare services, the government has deployed 375 new 108 Sanjeevani Express ambulances across the state. Between January 2024 and June 2026, these ambulances provided emergency medical assistance to more than 6.5 lakh people during accidents, childbirth and other medical emergencies.
The Minister also said modern pathology testing facilities are now available at 1,051 health institutions in partnership with HLL Lifecare Limited. Through a hub-and-spoke model supported by an IT-enabled reporting system and quality monitoring mechanism, diagnostic services are being extended even to remote areas.
Emphasising healthcare workforce development, Shri Jaiswal announced that paramedical courses will be introduced in all 10 government medical colleges in the state. The initiative aims to strengthen the availability of trained technical personnel while creating new employment-oriented educational opportunities for youth.
Taking a firm stand on food safety, the Health Minister directed officials to strictly enforce the ban on the manufacture, sale and use of analogue paneer in the state. He said ensuring safe and quality food products for citizens is a top priority and warned that strict action would be taken against anyone violating food safety regulations.
