Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports Anurag Singh Thakur on Sunday organised a medical camp at Dehra in Himachal Pradesh to mark the completion of 10 lakh beneficiaries of ‘MP Mobile Health Service’ in which 5,312 people availed of free health services.

Hailing the historic achievement of 10 lakh OPD during the six years of ‘MP mobile health service’, Thakur committed to continuing public welfare by providing healthcare services to people through hospitals.

Artificial limbs based on pneumatic sockets, each worth lakhs, were also provided free of cost to 20 disabled people in the area.

Thakur said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is going to become a medical hub for the world. People from many countries come to India for treatment. The number of medical colleges in our country has increased from 384 to 700. To provide good health services to the people of my Hamirpur parliamentary constituency, free of cost at their doorstep, I had started Sansad Mobile Health Service 6 years ago. I feel happy and proud to say that the hospital service has reached out to 10 lakh people in such a short time and provided them free health services.”

He said that the Sansad Mobile Health Service was launched in 2018 with the aim of ensuring access to healthcare facilities for every individual in the area. Initially, the service began with two mobile medical units but has since expanded to encompass 32 mobile medical units.

“The biggest beneficiaries of this campaign are our women and senior citizens, with 65% of hospital beneficiaries being women. The hospital has also generated new employment opportunities for women, with 50% of its workforce now comprised of women. Till now, four mega eye camps have been organised in Hamirpur, Una, and Bilaspur. Under the supervision of more than 100 doctors, 18,500 OPDs and more than 15,000 free spectacles have been distributed,” Thakur said.

Addressing the people at the medical camp in Dehra, Anurag Thakur said, “A Central University is being constructed in Dehra at a cost of Rs 500 crore which will boost the economy around the area.”

In the future, a medical college will also be established at Central University. The Centre will bear 90% of the cost of the zoo being constructed in Bankhandi. Moreover, the Dehra to Haripur road, costing Rs 10 crore has been completed with the help of the Central Road Fund.

Besides, the Dhaliara and Nandanala bridges are ready at the cost of crores of rupees. Here in Haripur, there is a hundreds of years old temple for the restoration of which we will spend Rs 1 crore.

Rajya Sabha MP Sikandar Kumar, Dr. VK Paul of NITI Aayog, Dr. DS Rana, Chairman of Gangaram Hospital, and more than 50 specialist doctors from across the country were present on the occasion.

Thakur also honoured Dr. VK Paul and Dr. DS Rana Kok, Chairman, Gangaram Hospital, with the Health Service Excellence Award for their outstanding contribution to healthcare.