Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dedicating the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Punjab’s Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) to the nation on Wednesday, claimed that the BJP-led Central Government improved the country’s ailing healthcare services in past eight years, as compared to what was done in seven decades.
Maintaining that holistic healthcare has always been the Centre’s priority, Modi said that his Government’s thrust was on creating a healthcare system that would cater to the poorest of the poor, while giving thrust on “six fronts”.
“NDA Government’s thrust was on creating a healthcare system that would cater to the poorest of the poor...The health sector has been our priority. The work our government has done for the health sector in the past eight years was not done in 70 years,” he said while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 300-bed Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Mullanpur in Mohali district on Wednesday afternoon.
The Cancer Hospital is expected to provide world-class cancer care to the residents of Punjab and neighbouring states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh; and Union Territories. A tertiary care hospital, it is equipped with modern facilities to treat all types of cancers using surgery, radiotherapy, and medical oncology, comprising chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and bone marrow transplant. This state-of-the-art facility has been built by the Central Government at an outlay of over Rs 660 crore.
Modi, who was accompanied by Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Congress MP from Sri Anandpur Sahib Manish Tewari on the dais, was given a rousing reception by the party workers and supporters amid slogans of “Jai Shri Ram”, and “Modi, Modi”.
Listing out “six fronts” to upgrade the country’s health system, Modi said that the Centre’s focus is on “promotion of preventive healthcare; opening small and modern hospitals in villages; opening medical colleges and big medical research institutes in cities to increase the number of doctors and paramedical staff across the country; to provide cheap medicines, cheap medical equipment to the patients; and use of technology to reduce the difficulties faced by patients”.
Further, Modi said: “Our government has decided to open around 1.5 lakhs health and wellness centres. In Punjab, 3,000 health and wellness centres are giving their services. Our Government is making efforts to open one medical college in each district of the country.”
“We have set up 40 cancer hospitals and most of them have already started functioning. Before 2014, there were less than 400 medical colleges, while in eight years, around 200 new medical colleges have been set up,” he added.
The Prime Minister added that as many as 3.5 crore people have got treatment under the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Scheme and “treatment worth Rs 40,000 crore has been done under this scheme”.
“From just seven All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), India is now home to 21 AIIMS...This is an example of our government’s commitment to providing quality healthcare,” he said, adding, “We have established over 40 institutions in the country that are working on cancer research”.
Saying that he understands the problems of the cancer patients, Modi said that earlier, the patients travelled long distances for treatment in specialty hospitals. “Since the inception of Bilaspur AIIMS and Homi Bhabha Cancer Institute, this problem has been addressed and we are working towards reaching every corner of India to provide cancer treatment,” he said.
Modi said that the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre would help in providing improved healthcare services to people in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
The foundation stone of the cancer hospital, the first-of-its-kind cancer care in north India, was laid by the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on December 30, 2013. At that time, SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal was Punjab’s Chief Minister in a coalition government led by the Shiromani Akali Dal.