Union Health Minister J P Nadda said on Tuesday that the Centre is focused on providing healthcare which is not only curative but also preventive, palliative, and rehabilitative.
Speaking at the fifth convocation ceremony of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, in the presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, he reiterated the government’s commitment to providing world-class healthcare for the citizens.
He said providing affordable and quality healthcare to every poor person in the country is a priority of the government.
Highlighting the achievements of the government in the health sector, the Minister informed that 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational across the country providing a range of services pertaining to healthcare and wellness.
“In the last 10 years, there has been a 101 per cent increase in medical colleges, totaling 780 across the country. There has been a 130 per cent increase in MBBS seats while PG seats have seen an increase of 138 per cent in the last 10 years. Similarly, to cater to the paramedics, 157 nursing colleges are also being established, to be co-located with the medical colleges,” he said.
Emphasising that the government spends between Rs 30-35 lakh for every MBBS student, he urged the new doctors to shoulder more responsibilities as they embark on their professional careers.
The Minister lauded AIIMS Rishikesh for being one of the best institutes in the country for using digital services like telemedicine (eSanjeevani) to serve the remote and underserved areas of the state.
During the event, Nadda also inaugurated several healthcare facilities to enhance the institute’s medical services, including Integrated Medicine in the Ayush Department, a PET scan machine in the Nuclear Medicine Department, PACS facility in the Radiology Department, and a Centre for Advanced Pediatrics in Pediatric Care.
In his address, the Chief Minister said that India’s healthcare sector has seen a significant uplift in the last decade with the launch of initiatives like Ayushman Bharat and establishment of new AIIMS and medical colleges.
He said that AIIMS Rishikesh is providing quality and affordable healthcare services and facilities to people from across the state.
Dhami said the government is working to set up a medical college in every district of the state and expand the network of Jan Aushadi Kendras in the state.