The BJP government has decided to do away with the word `Samajwadi’ from ‘108 Ambulance Service’ saying Uttar Pradesh was not getting monthly Central assistance of Rs 18 crore because of using the word.
Health minister Sidharthnath Singh said that the ‘108 Ambulance Service’ is a scheme of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) but the same was hijacked by the previous Samajwadi Party government.
“The previous government claimed to have revolutionised the Health sector through this scheme, which in fact is a Central government project,” Singh told reporters after taking charge as Health minister on Thursday.
Singh said that the first task before him was to improve the image of Uttar Pradesh Health department which was tarnished by the NRHM scam.
“The Health department has earned a bad name due to the NRHM scam. Now the onus is on us to make it a corruption-free department at any cost,” he said and added: “This government is for change and it has already started showing its commitment for good governance.”
The Health minister announced that there would be zero tolerance on corruption in the department and there would be transparent e-tender and digitization of files.
Singh also announced that most of the popular decision of the previous SP government would be continued like free medicine and tests while a new ‘UP Swasth app’ would be launched where people would get all information about Health facilities on finger tips.
When asked about the private practice by government doctors and absence of doctors in rural areas, the minister said that such things will be stopped once the system comes into place.
He also admitted that there was information that a racket was working on supplying fake and outdated medicines in government hospitals. “I have to see everything and I am committed to improving the department,” Singh further stated.