Healthcare no longer a luxury, but a right: UP CM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday that Gorakhpur today faces neither a shortage of advanced medical facilities nor financial resources for high-level treatment.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Regency Hospital here, CM Yogi inspected the facilities and launched the hospital’s patient app, ‘Regency My Care.’

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He said, “The city now has super-specialty healthcare services, along with the Prime Minister-Chief Minister Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman), ensuring quality treatment for citizens. If Ayushman coverage falls short, patients receive full support through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and contributions from public representatives.”

The Chief Minister noted that while expensive healthcare was once out of reach for the poor, it has now become accessible. Under the Ayushman scheme, the state government has already provided free treatment worth up to ₹5 lakh to 5.5 crore people.

For those not covered under Ayushman or the CM Jan Arogya Yojana, assistance is available through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, while MLAs can also extend up to ₹25 lakh from their funds.

Highlighting government efforts, he added that ₹1,100 crore was disbursed through the Relief Fund for treatment in the past year alone. “Earlier, such facilities were either unavailable or granted selectively through ‘pick and choose,” he remarked.

Emphasizing the government’s commitment, CM Yogi said, “The true government is the one that stands with its people at all times. Every citizen must have access to facilities without discrimination.”

He also pointed out that financial assistance is available from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, ensuring support at every level. With consistent developmental strides over the past decade, people’s economic capacity has increased, but what they now need most are proper healthcare facilities.

The Chief Minister hailed the launch of a 250-bedded multi-super specialty hospital with state-of-the-art infrastructure in Gorakhpur as a significant milestone for eastern Uttar Pradesh. Equipped with an 80-bedded ICU and comprehensive services under one roof, the hospital will benefit not only eastern UP but also northwestern Bihar and Nepal.

He praised Regency Hospital’s contribution to healthcare in Kanpur and lauded partner Tanmay Modi for establishing this facility in Gorakhpur. “Hospitals are meant to heal, but without proper precautions, they can become sources of infection. This hospital has been designed with utmost care to ensure patient safety,” he added.

Reflecting on the past, CM Yogi recalled that a decade ago, health facilities in eastern UP were in a deplorable condition, with BRD Medical College—then the only major center—struggling itself. Thanks to the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state government, the region now boasts vastly improved healthcare. AIIMS Gorakhpur is fully operational, and dozens of hospitals have opened across the state.

He further highlighted that while earlier Gorakhpur had the only medical college in eastern UP, today medical colleges exist in Basti, Siddharthnagar, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Deoria, Ayodhya, Jaunpur, Bahraich, Balrampur, Gonda, Pratapgarh, Azamgarh, Ambedkarnagar, Chandauli, Mirzapur and more, with one soon to open in Ballia. AIIMS facilities are now functional in Gorakhpur and Raebareli, while a world-class cancer treatment center has also been set up at BHU in collaboration with Tata Cancer Hospital.

The Chief Minister said that the health sector must foster healthy competition and present exemplary models of service. Recalling the role of Guru Gorakhnath Hospital in Gorakhpur more than two decades ago, he said, “At a time when Gorakhpur had no ICU or dialysis facilities, the hospital pioneered these services for the region. It also advanced blood bank services by establishing a blood separator and blood appreciator unit.”

He added that the hospital has set a benchmark by providing treatment based on people’s medical needs as well as their financial capacity. “Today, the need is to carry this model forward in an upgraded form,” he emphasized.

Welcoming CM Yogi at the inauguration, Dr Atul Kapoor, Chairman and Managing Director of Regency Hospital Group, gave a detailed overview of the hospital’s facilities and services. He also informed that the hospital would generate employment for 800–900 local people. Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan Shukla and Pipraich MLA Mahendra Pal Singh also addressed the gathering.