PM Modi said the Jal Jeevan Mission focuses on controlling the spread of waterborne diseases

NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (The CONNECT) -India is a nation where treatment is a service, wellness is a charity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sand underlined that a good healthcare system doesn't just mean building four walls.

Addressing two different events, Modi He emphasised that the healthcare system of any country becomes strong only when it gives solutions in every way, and supports it step by step.

Modi dedicated Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre to the Nation at Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Mohali, and inaugurated state-of-the-art Amrita Hospital at Faridabad.

Referring to his proclamation that he made from the ramparts of the Red Fort about making India a developed nation, the Prime Minister said “To make India developed, it is equally important to develop its health services.” He said when the people of India will get modern hospitals filled with modern facilities for treatment, then they will get well sooner, and their energy will be channelled in the right direction.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to create facilities for cancer treatment. He noted that Tata Memorial Centre is now equipped for treatment of 1.5 lakh new patients every year. He said that the new hospital and the AIIMS at Bilaspur will reduce the burden on PGI Chandigarh and provide much relief to the patients and their families.

The Prime Minister noted that today, the health facilities of the country are being improved by working together on six fronts. Elaborating on all six fronts, the Prime Minister mentioned the first front is the promotion of preventive healthcare, the second front is to open small and modern hospitals in villages, the third front is to open medical colleges and big medical research institutes in cities, fourth front is to increase the number of doctors and paramedical staff across the country, fifth front is to provide cheap medicines, cheap equipment to the patients, and the sixth front is to reduce the difficulties faced by patients by using technology.

Talking about preventive approach, the Prime Minister said that due to the Jal Jeevan Mission, the number of patients suffering from waterborne diseases has gone down considerably. Similarly, cleanliness, Yoga, fitness trends, Poshan Abhiyan, Cooking gas etc. are bringing down the number of patients. On the second front, quality testing facilities have been created and more than 1.5 lakh Health and wellness centres are being established. Out of which 1.25 have already been established. In Punjab about 3000 centers are functioning. All over the country, more than 22 crore people have been screened for cancer out of which 60 lakh screenings took place in Punjab.

The Prime Minister further added that once the disease is detected, then the need for such advanced hospitals arises where serious ailments can be treated properly. The Prime Minister highlighted that the central government is working on the target of at least one medical college in every district of the country. The Ayushman Bharat scheme under health infrastructure mission is creating modern health facilities at the district level at the cost of 64 thousand crore rupees, he added. The Prime Minister reiterated that at a time, there were only 7 AIIMS in the country but that number has gone up to 21 now. The government has approved about 40 specialized cancer institutes across the country, out of which many hospitals have already started providing services.

At Amrita Hospital Modi said  this hospital is a blend of modernity and spirituality and will become a medium of accessible and affordable treatment for needy patients. “Amma is the embodiment of love, compassion, service and sacrifice. She is the carrier of India’s spiritual tradition”, he said.

Dwelling on the great tradition of service and medicine of India, the Prime Minister said, “India is a nation where treatment is a service, wellness is a charity. Where health and spirituality, both are related to each other. We have medical science as a Veda. We have also given the name of Ayurveda to our medical science.” He reminded the gathering that India never allowed its spiritual and service legacy to go into oblivion even during the difficult period of slavery for centuries.