Tuesday, 26 October 2021 | Ramesh K Singh | Varanasi
Launching scheme, Modi says previous Govts didn’t work for poor in country
In a “Deepawali gift” that could help millions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a visit to his Parliamentary constituency on Monday, launched the ambitious health infrastructure scheme — Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY) — worth `64,180 crore and inaugurated 28 development projects worth `5,189 crore.
While launching the largest pan-India scheme for strengthening healthcare infrastructure, the PM said, “Uttar Pradesh will soon become a medical hub of India, ensuring a robust public health infrastructure in both urban and remote areas, capable of tackling health emergencies
or disease outbreak on an immediate basis.”
Highlighting the employment opportunity, the PM said that “Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, along with health, is also a medium of “Atmanirbharta”. Our Government at the Centre and in the States is working day and night to improve health facilities in the country.”
Launching a scathing attack on the previous Governments, the PM said, “No Government during its regimes worked towards the development of the poor, downtrodden, oppressed, backward and middle class. Healthcare for them has been only a means of earning money to them,” adding, “The work done in Varanasi in the last seven years was not done in the last several decades.”
Post-independence in the country, health infrastructure did not have as much attention as needed, which led citizens to run from pillar to post for proper treatment, leading to worsening of the condition and financial strain, he said.
Talking about the PMASBY, the Prime Minister said that under this scheme, the infrastructure required to check and monitor diseases would be developed. “The health scheme will increase screening of diseases. Under this, the infrastructure required to check and monitor diseases will be developed,” he added.
It is a part of the effort to achieve holistic health care, which means healthcare that is affordable and accessible to all.
The PM said that another big achievement that was witnessed in Varanasi was the progress of BHU towards excellence across the globe. Today, from technology to health, unprecedented facilities are being created in BHU.
The establishment of new medical colleges, in the near future, will provide a great impact on the number of medical seats and doctors in UP. Due to more seats, now the underprivileged children will be able to dream of becoming a doctor and fulfil it, he said.
Modi said that in the coming four-five years, the critical care units will be strengthened in the villages and cities along with health and wellness centres. Facilities like free medical consultation, free tests, free medicines will be available in these centres. If diseases are detected on time, then they will be easy to treat, he said, adding, the plan is being prepared in 12 central hospitals at the national level. Emergency operation centres running 24 hours a day will be prepared, he added.
Praising the growth in production and sale in Khadi and other cottage industry products in the last 5 years in Varanasi, the PM once again urged the people to promote local products and get “vocal for local”. He said that local doesn’t mean just a few products like diyas but any product that is the result of the hard work of artisans needs the promotion of all the countrymen during the festival period.
In its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, India has achieved a major milestone of administering over 100 crore vaccine doses. With the blessings of Baba Vishwanath, Ma Ganga and the trust of the people of Kashi, the campaign of “Sabko vaccine, Muft vaccine” is going ahead successfully, said PM Modi while addressing the public.
Earlier, he addressed a public meeting in Sidhartha Nagar after inaugurating nine medical colleges. He said earlier Purvanchal was maligned for meningitis and now it is emerging as a healing center. When the Government is sensitive, there is a sense of compassion in the mind to understand the pain of the poor, then such accomplishments happen, said the PM.
