Amit Shah hails Gujarat govt's health facilities, highlights improvement in maternal, infant mortality rates

New Delhi [India], September 26 : Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for adopting a holistic approach toward health infrastructure, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday praised the Gujarat government over its improved facilities on various health parameters like maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate and institutional delivery.
Shah's remarks came while performing Bhoomi Pujan of 350 bedded Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in Gujarat's Sanand.
"Apart from this, free health facilities up to Rs 5 lakh have been provided to 60 crore people under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. The Gujarat Government has also improved on various health parameters like maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate and institutional delivery," said Shah.
He said this hospital would provide excellent health facilities to about 3 lakh workers of the Sanand area as well as benefit about 12 lakh workers and their family members from the region and its adjoining areas as well as all the villagers of the Sanand tehsil.
On the occasion, Shah extended Navratri greetings to the people and said that the hospital would have many modern facilities including OPD, indoor facilities, X-ray, radiology, laboratory, Operation Theatre, obstetrics, ICU and ultrasound.
The Minister said that the hospital would be made into a "perfect hospital for all".
Initially, this 350-bed hospital to be built on nine and a half acres will cost Rs 500 crore and the Ministry of Labour has made arrangements with foresight that it can be made into a hospital of 350 to 500 beds immediately if needed.
The Home Minister said that after Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister and Bhupendra Yadav became the Labour Minister in 2014, the ESIC scheme has become more meaningful and has moved forward.
After the construction of the hospital, the Minister also said Gujarat Government would also provide land for the construction of a medical and nursing college.
At the event, the Minister praised Prime Minister Modi for adopting a holistic approach towards health infrastructure having three parts--first, to expand all types of infrastructure and human resources related to medical science; second, to mainstream traditional Indian systems of medicine like AYUSH; and thirdly, to provide expert facilities to all villages through technology.
The Minister further said there were only 387 medical colleges in the country in 2013-14 but PM Modi helped to increase their number to 596 in 2021-22.
"The government led by Modi has also increased the number of MBBS seats from 51,000 to 89,000; and Post Graduate seats from 31,000 to 60,000," he added.
Shah also inaugurated Bhadaj Overbridge and Virochnanagar Primary Health Centre constructed by Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority and Milan Kendra-Samaj Wadi built by AUDA near Science City in Gujarat.
On his two-day visit to Gujarat, the Home Minister also visited the Meldi Mataji temple.