Lucknow: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the Centre was committed to provide excellent medical services to the people of the country. “The government will ensure that maximum facilities are available in the country. It may take five to 10 years, but people across the world will realise that they can get the best facilities in India,” Singh said while addressing the convocation of King George Medical University here. The Home Minister said that the proposal to set up 12 new medical colleges and four AIIMS has been passed, but it was insufficient.
He said if national average was taken into consideration, medical facilities are not adequate.
“Super speciality hospitals are there, but the poor is not getting the facility,” he said.
He said that there was a need to strengthen primary and community health centres.
“If PHCs and CHCs are strengthened then burden of major institutes will reduce by 80 to 85 per cent,” Singh said, adding that attention was also being paid to extended health care, which includes clean drinking water and sanitation.
Referring to Swachh Bharat campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minister said, “never in history would people have a PM and President wield brooms. Our target is to clean all the rivers in five to 10 years and we have taken it as an agenda.”
With an objective to promote alternative medicine the government has set up a separate AYUSH ministry, Singh said, adding that on request of the PM, UN General Assembly has decided to observe June 21 as International Yoga Day. The Minister said that decision has also been taken to launch National Health Assurance Mission from next year which would benefit the poor.
He said that KGMU has a major contribution in the field of medical and health which the country can never forget. Singh called on fresh graduates to be sensitive towards the sufferings of people. “People look up to doctors as God. This faith should not get shattered.”
Speaking on the occasion Governor and Chancellor of the Universities, Ram Naik highlighted the need of a separate cancer institute in the state.
