Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of AIIMS Rajkot through a video conference today. Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi recalled the efforts of the millions of doctors, health workers, scavengers and other frontline corona warriors who have constantly put their lives at stake to protect humanity. He lauded the efforts of the scientists and all those who provided food to the poor in this difficult period with full dedication.
He also remarked that this year showed that when India unites, it can effectively cope with the most difficult crisis. He said that India is in a much better position as a result of effective steps and India’s record of saving victims of the coronavirus pandemic has been much better than other countries. He added that efforts are in the final stages for producing the vaccine in India and making sure it rapidly reaches every nook and corner of the country. India’s preparation to run the world’s largest immunization campaign is in full swing, he said.
Speaking about the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) which will be constructed at Rajkot, PM Modi said that AIIMS Rajkot would boost health infrastructure, medical education and provide employment opportunities in Gujarat. He said that about five thousand direct jobs and many indirect jobs would be created. He lauded the efforts of Gujarat in fighting COVID-19 too. He credited the robust medical infrastructure in Gujarat, for Gujarat’s better handling of the pandemic. Two decades of relentless effort, dedication and resolve was behind this success of Gujarat in the medical sector, he said.
He added that in the last six years, work on ten new AIIMS has started and many have been inaugurated. Along with AIIMS, twenty super-specialty hospitals are also being constructed.
The Prime Minister emphasized that before 2014, different aspects of our health sector were working towards different directions and approaches. However, after 2014, the health sector has worked holistically and emphasis has been on preventive care, while also giving priority to modern treatment facilities. He said that the government has reduced the cost of treating the poor and, at the same time, also emphasized on increasing the number of doctors rapidly.
Listing the initiatives undertaken by the government to improve the health of the people, he said that under the ‘Ayushman Bharat” scheme, the work to establish about 1.5 million health and wellness centers in remote areas is being undertaken. Among those, about fifty thousand centers have already started functioning. About five thousand among those are in Gujarat alone. He said that about seven thousand Jan Aushadhi centers provide medicines at low cost to about 3.5 lakh poor patients.
The Prime Minister said that as diseases are becoming globalised, it is time for coordinated global responses for global health solutions. India will play a major role in the health solutions as it played in meeting the challenges of 2020, he stressed.
(Published from PIB)