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PM Modi inaugurates cancer hospital in Mohali, says healthcare a priority
Modi said this after inaugurating 300-bed Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Mohali’s Mullanpur on outskirts of Chandigarh. The facility has been built at a cost of over ₹660 crore by Tata Memorial Centre, an aided institute under the Union department of atomic energy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said holistic healthcare has been a priority in the country for the past eight years and more work has been done in this field than the past 70 years.
Modi said this after inaugurating 300-bed Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Mohali’s Mullanpur on outskirts of Chandigarh. The facility has been built at a cost of over ₹660 crore by Tata Memorial Centre, an aided institute under the Union department of atomic energy.
“The country had around 400 medical colleges when our government took over. In the past seven-eight years, we have added 200 hospitals. From just seven All India Medical Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), India is now home to 21 AIIMS,” said Modi in his public address.
Modi said his government’s focus has been on creating such a healthcare system that caters to the poorest-of-the poor. “There was a time when if a serious ailment struck a poor person, he had to sell his entire property and land to get the treatment. Our government has given thrust on several such aspects to provide healthcare for the poor at doorstep and at cheap rates. Under our flagship scheme Aayushman Bharat, 3.5 crore people have got the treatment which has saved them around ₹40,000 crore,” said Modi, while lauding his government’s role in improving the health sector.
He said the Centre also plans to open 1.50 lakh health and wellness centres across the country and 1.25 lakh centres have already started working.
“In Punjab, 3,000 health and wellness centres are giving services. In the entire country, around 22 crore people have been screened for cancer out of which around 60 lakh screenings were done only in Punjab,” said Modi.
He reiterated that his government was working on the aspect of one medical college in each district of the country. Modi said his government was working on six morchas (aspects) to ensure the health facilities are provided to the needy and the poor.
“These six morchas are preventive healthcare, setting up of small and big hospitals in rural areas, establishing medical colleges in cities, increasing the number of paramedicals and doctors, introducing new technologies and ensuring availability of cheap medicines. We invested a record thousands of crores on these Morchas,” said the PM.
Modi said his government was giving thrust on preventive healthcare. Only a few days back, a report came in which it is said that due to our programme ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, a decrease in water-borne disease has been witnessed in the country, said the PM. “This shows when we work with a plan to prevent diseases, we get good results. Earlier, governments have ignored the preventive aspects,” he said.
About cancer, Modi said his government has sanctioned around 40 hospitals to treat the disease and most of them have started giving treatment.
The PM also attended a meeting of the Punjab BJP leaders for around 20 minutes before taking off from the site.
Mann regrets Ferozepur security breach
“Unfortunately, you (PM) had to cancel your programme in Ferozepur on January 5, which was a matter of regret for all of us. But today the same Punjab is welcoming you wholeheartedly. You are the Prime Minister of the country,” said Mann.
Thanking the PM for giving Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre as a supreme gift to the state, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that it will help the cancer-affected state, especially the Malwa region, in combating this fatal disease effectively.
“In common parlance the Punjabis are even afraid of taking the name of cancer as its treatment is too costly. But this centre will go a long way in ensuring accessible and affordable cancer treatment to region” said the CM.
Mann said that the newly set up centre at new Chandigarh will be a milestone in providing quality cancer treatment not only to patients from Punjab but to neighbouring states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan also.
Sidelights
‘Modi-Modi’ chants
Chants of ‘Modi-Modi’ reverberated in the air at the venue even as chief minister Bhagwant Mann was addressing the gathering. Even as it was a state government’s function, the BJP cadre was invited at the last minute. There was no slogan in support of Mann from the crowd that was brought by the state government.
Fluent in Punjabi
Union minister of state in the department of atomic energy Jitendra Singh addressed the gathering in chaste Punjabi and earned praise of the chief minister Bhagwant Mann. Jitendra Singh belongs to a Dogra family from Jammu.
‘Krantikaari governor’
During the function, chief minister Bhagwant Mann addressed Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit as “krantikaari governor” while naming the dignitaries in his speech.
No MLA at the event
Only half-a-dozen ministers in the Punjab cabinet were seen in the VIP gallery during the event. No Punjab MLA was present at the function.
