Politics over health services has intensified in Uttar Pradesh, with Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party government of deliberately neglecting medical colleges, cancer institutes and other hospitals established during the Samajwadi Party’s tenure.
Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, in a tweet on Tuesday, said that while the BJP government constructed several medical college buildings during its tenure, it failed to make adequate efforts to ensure their smooth functioning.
He said many medical colleges, hospitals, and trauma centres in the state are operating without adequate doctors and staff or remain incomplete, preventing patients from receiving proper treatment.
“Medical colleges, hospitals, and trauma centres are functioning without staff. BJP leaders have established their own offices, and a senior BJP leader has set up his own AYUSH University, but general hospitals serving the public have been completely neglected,” he alleged.
The Samajwadi Party also alleged that the government has prioritised its political and administrative structures over public hospitals. The party claimed that the current state of the health system reflects a lack of departmental coordination and effective leadership.
Targeting the Health Minister, the party said the department’s functioning has weakened and the minister’s role appears limited. In a sarcastic remark, it said the condition of the health department is worrying and speculation is rife about possible changes in a future cabinet expansion.
“As for the Health Minister, it appears that both he and his department are being neglected, and the groundwork is being laid to strip him of his portfolio in the next cabinet expansion. Looking at the plight of the Health Ministry, it is evident that the state’s medical services are suffering due to negligence and corruption,” he said.
“The truth is that these officials have no real authority beyond fund distribution. In the health department, he is a minister only in name; no one listens to him. I’ve heard he sets a reminder on his mobile phone every morning that he is the Health Minister,” he said.
The party blamed alleged negligence and corruption for the poor state of medical services in the state. Concluding its statement, the Samajwadi Party said, “If the BJP goes, health services can improve.”