Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday stated that Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) is setting high standards in healthcare and medical education, not just in Uttar Pradesh but across North India.

Highlighting its quiet yet impactful progress, he said the institute is achieving excellence and scaling new heights.

The CM was speaking at the 41st Foundation Day celebrations of SGPGI in Lucknow.

Highlighting the institute’s success, CM Yogi said, “SGPGI is currently performing robotic surgeries and is now advancing towards becoming a centre for utilising AI to enhance patient care. This reflects the institute’s remarkable progress.”

He further mentioned that in 2024 alone, SGPGI registered 1,16,000 patients, treated 48,600 of them, and conducted over 14,000 surgeries. The institute successfully completed 114 kidney transplants, 32 bone marrow transplants, one liver transplant, 591 open-heart surgeries, and 319 robotic surgeries.

These achievements underscore SGPGI’s excellence and its growing contribution to healthcare, he noted.

During the event, CM Yogi released the institute’s coffee-table book. He also honoured faculty members and students for their outstanding research and exemplary performance.

The CM stated that SGPGI has significantly increased its pace over the past seven years, and the next five years will be even more crucial for the institute.

Departments that were once unimaginable are now being established, and the institute is working in mission mode with full commitment, he remarked.

Highlighting a unique achievement, the CM mentioned that SGPGI is the first institution in the country to receive Rs 500 crore through CSR funds.

“These funds are being used to support initiatives like the Saloni Heart Foundation, which provides life-saving heart surgeries for children. Additionally, a shelter home (Rain Basera) is being constructed with CSR support,” he stated.

He added, “Every patient seeks quality care, and to meet this demand, doctors need to triple their efforts. The government will ensure all necessary resources are provided.”

Reflecting on the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted that at that time, 36 districts in Uttar Pradesh lacked ICU beds. On the director’s suggestion, the Tele-ICU facility was introduced, saving thousands of lives. He added that six medical colleges have already been integrated into the Tele-ICU system in the first phase, and efforts are underway to connect all medical colleges in the state to this facility in the future.

The CM further pointed out that between 1947 and 2017, only 12 medical colleges were established in the state. However, in 2023 alone, 13 government medical colleges became operational, admitting students for the first time.

Additionally, three government colleges under the PPP model and two private medical colleges were inaugurated, making a total of 18 new medical colleges this year.

“The government has now opened medical colleges in 65 districts, ensuring that every district has access to modern healthcare. Free dialysis services have been introduced in all districts, along with the establishment of blood separator units in blood banks. The state also organises ‘Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Mela’ every Sunday to provide free healthcare services,” the CM stated.

Highlighting the impact of Ayushman Bharat scheme, CM Yogi said that over 9 crore people in Uttar Pradesh are benefiting from Ayushman cards, with over 5,25,000 golden cards issued recently.

Senior citizens above 70 years are also eligible for free health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh per year under the Ayushman Vayam Vandana Yojana. The CM also mentioned that Rs 73 crore was disbursed from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in the last year alone to the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital for the treatment of over 21,000 patients. He assured that no poor patient would face hurdles in treatment due to lack of funds, as the government is fully committed to providing financial assistance for healthcare.

On this occasion, Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, Minister of State for Health Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, Principal Secretary (Health and Medical Education) Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, SGPGI Director Dr RK Dhiman, Vice-Chancellor of Geetam Institute of Medical Science and Research Prof Geetanjali Batman Bane, etc were present.