New Delhi, July 22 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha has urged the government to make annual health check-ups a legal right for citizens.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session, Chadha shared how the country is witnessing a sharp rise in heart failures and other health issues post the Covid-19 pandemic.

'I raised a demand in Parliament: make annual health check-up a legal right of every citizen,' he shared on the social media platform on X.

'Post Covid-19, we're seeing a sharp rise in heart failures and other health issues. Early detection can save lives'.

He pointed out that many developed countries offer free annual health check-ups to all citizens, paid for by the government. 'Why not in India'? he asked.

'Healthcare must not remain a privilege for the elite,' Chadha added, stressing that regular medical tests should be available to everyone, not just to those who can afford them.

'Jaanch hai toh jaan hai (If there's a check-up, there's life),' he said.

His comments come even as the country witnessed several sudden heart attacks, strokes, and other serious conditions, even among young and healthy people in the recent past.

Routine health checks can detect many health conditions earlier and help prevent deaths.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic lung disease, diabetes, hypertension etc., account for more than 70 per cent of deaths annually.

Regular screening for these could address a major health gap.

Even as the country is facing a rising burden of NCDs, the government, earlier this year, launched a nationwide NCD screening campaign.

The screening drive, conducted across Ayushman Arogya Mandir facilities and other healthcare institutions, 'achieved 89.7 per cent of the target'.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has also initiated the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) in 2010.

The programme employs a multifaceted strategy that includes early detection and screening of individuals aged 30 years and above, implementing screening at all levels of healthcare delivery, and providing assistance for accurate diagnosis and cost-effective treatment options.

It also provides teleconsultation services, monitors national NCDs via a dedicated portal, and coordinates inter-ministerial efforts to promote NCD awareness and encourage healthy lifestyle choices.

/IANS