President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said it was necessary for India to have a modern, scientific healthcare system for its citizens to make the country remain globally healthy.
“We need to have and ensure access for all to the modern and scientific health care system. Without an able body, an able mind cannot work. This is absolutely necessary in order to ensure our rightful place in the comity of nations,” Mukherjee said after inaugurating the Sardar Patel multi-specialty and heart hospital at Ankleshwar near Bharuch district of Gujarat.
The hospital has been built by a board of trustees and donors led by founder trustee, Congress MP and political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi — Ahmed Patel.
The President said a country with diseased and ill people cannot compete in the global arena. “If we are sick, diseased, hungry and are not skilled…then even good figures of GDP and other statistical data will only look like a satisfaction but will not reflect the true picture,” he said.
He said the country has to ensure jobs and livelihood for all its citizens and this requires a “collective participation” of the people.
He urged the trustees and doctors of the hospital to ensure a good healthcare for the people of this region who, for the first time, have got a super-speciality hospital in their region.
Pranab said the often quoted talisman of Mahatma Gandhi — to always think from the point of view of the poorest of poor before taking a new step-should be kept in mind.
Before this event, the President visited the renovated ‘Sevashram Trust hospital in Bharuch and unveiled statues of Gandhi and Sardar Patel.
He lauded these two great sons of India and Gujarat for not only ensuring India’s independence but also placing strong foundation for its future.
He also praised the initiative of Ahmed Patel for making the dream of the first super-specialty hospital in Bharuch come true as he called this work “noble”. Pranab quipped that he can claim himself to be a Gujarati from heart as he been a RS member from the State in the past.
The President is on a two-day tour to Gujarat after he arrived in Gandhinagar on Saturday night.
Ahmed Patel on the occasion lauded Pranab for always being helpful from his organisation (Congress) days and even now when he is the President. Former Union Ministers Gurudas Kamat, Bharat Sinh Solanki, leader of Opposition in Gujarat Shankar Singh Vaghela were present on the occasion.
Ahmed Patel’s colleague Rajiv Shukla, Congress MP from Haryana Deepender Hooda were also present besides leading business man of Gujarat and Industrialist Gautam Adani.
The President also addressed the students of Bapu Gujarat Knowledge Village and Samarpan College organised by Vaghela.
later in the evening, Mukherjee also called on ailing former union minister Madhav Singh Solanki at his residence in Gandhinagar.