Modi says important to develop India's health services to make it a developed nation

New Delhi, August 24, 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that to make India a developed nation it was equally important to develop its health services.

"When the people of India will get modern hospitals with state-of-the-art facilities for treatment, then they will get well sooner, and their energy will be channelled in the right direction," he said, after dedicating to the nation the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre at Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar in Mohali, Punjab.

Earlier in the day, Modi inaugurated the state-of-the-art Amrita Hospital at Faridabad.

At Mohali, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Union Jitendra Singh were amongst those present at the function.

In Faridabad, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, Union Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar and spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi were among those present on the occasion.

Speaking at Mohali, the Prime Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to create facilities for cancer treatment. He noted that the Tata Memorial Centre is now equipped for treatment of 1.5 lakh new patients every year. He said that the new hospital and the AIIMS at Bilaspur will reduce the burden on PGI Chandigarh and provide much relief to the patients and their families.

He stressed that a good healthcare system did not just mean building four walls. He said the healthcare system of any country becomes strong only when it gives solutions in every way, and supports it step by step. He said holistic healthcare had been placed among the top priorities in the country in the last eight years.

Modi said health facilities in the country were being improved today by working simultaneously on six fronts.

These include the promotion of preventive healthcare, the opening of small and modern hospitals in villages, the setting up of medical colleges and medical research institutes, increasing the number of doctors and paramedical personnel in the country, providing cheap medicines and cheap equipment to patients, and reducing the difficulties faced by patients through the use of technology.

Talking about the preventive approach, the Prime Minister said that due to the Jal Jeevan Mission, the number of patients suffering from waterborne diseases has gone down considerably. Similarly, cleanliness, Yoga, fitness trends, Poshan Abhiyan, Cooking gas etc. are bringing down the number of patients.

He said the Government aimed to set up at least one medical college in every district of the country.

He said the Ayushman Bharat scheme under health infrastructure mission is creating modern health facilities at the district level at a cost of Rs 64,000 crore.

He gave the details of the new hospitals and medical colleges being set up around the country.

The Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre has been built at a cost of more than Rs 660 crore by the Tata Memorial Centre, an aided institute under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.

It is a tertiary care hospital with a 300-bed capacity. It is equipped with modern facilities to treat all types of cancers using every available treatment modality like Surgery, Radiotherapy and Medical Oncology - Chemotherapy, immunotherapy and Bone marrow transplant.

The Hospital will function like a "hub" of cancer care and treatment in the region, with the 100 bedded hospital in Sangrur functioning as its "spoke".

The Amrita Hospital at Faridabad, one of the largest private multi-specialty hospitals in India, is a 2,600-bed facility set up at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore. It has 81 specialties, eight centres of excellence, 534 critical care beds, among other facilities.

The super-specialty hospital will provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to the people of Faridabad and other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR), an official press release said.

Speaking at the inauguration, Modi said the hospital is a blend of modernity and spirituality and would provide accessible and affordable treatment for needy patients. “Amma is the embodiment of love, compassion, service and sacrifice. She is the carrier of India’s spiritual tradition”, he said, referring to Mata Amritanandamayi.

“India is a nation where treatment is a service, wellness is a charity. Where health and spirituality, both are related to each other. We have medical science as a Veda. We have also given the name of Ayurveda to our medical science," he said.

NNN