My colleagues from the Council of Ministers, Mr. J.P. Naddaji, Ashwini Choubey ji, Anupriya Patel and Mr. Randeep Guleriaji present on this stage, Shri I. S. Jha, Dr. Rajesh Sharma and all the dignitaries,
This day is really special in terms of treatment, for the people of Delhi, for those coming to Delhi and in a way for all of you. I am glad that we have managed to erect some pillars to help the poor, the common man, the lower middle class and the middle class to overcome the difficulties in their lives and to fight against the diseases. Just a few hours ago, a project worth approximately Rs.1700 crores was launched. Consequently, a new capacity of more than 1800 beds has been added to the Delhi's two important hospitals i.e. AIIMS and Safdarjung.
Friends,
Considering the increasing pressure on AIIMS, the capacity of all its campuses in Delhi is being expanded. Today, the National Center for Ageing, which is built at a cost of more than 300 crore rupees, has also been laid. This center will be of 200 beds. Efforts will be made to complete this in the next 1.5 - 2 years. There will be a lot of facilities for senior citizens. It will also have old age, science research center, where research can be done to address problems related to old age. Besides, work has also been done to modernize the facilities in the hospital by spending more than Rs.1300 crore in Safdarjung Hospital. Under this, services of a super-specialty block on an emergency block have been dedicated to the country. Safdarjung Hospital will become the largest emergency care hospital in the country, with a new capacity of 500 beds for just medical emergencies.
Friends,
There is also a Power Grid Relaxation House among the 5 projects that were launched today. This is one of the best examples of their responsibility towards the public sector and society. It is a great relief for not only the patients but also those who care for them.
Friends,
Timely treatment plays a crucial role in saving lives. But often traffic of Delhi becomes a hindrance. Earlier, there was a huge problem especially with the movement of patients and doctors between different centers and the campus of AIIMS. These problems have also been resolved between the main building of AIIMS and the Jai Prakash Narayan Trauma Center. I have also got the opportunity to inaugurate the one kilometer long underground tunnel sometime back. This tunnel ensures hassle-free movement of patients, their relatives, doctors and essential medicines and equipment.
Friends,
You are well aware of the great responsibility upon us to mobilize affordable, accessible, safe and modern healthcare facilities for our vast and developing country like India. In the last four years, a new direction has been given to public health care. Every policy intervention of the central government aims at providing good quality, accessible and affordable health care facilities to the poor and the middle class. The central government along with the state governments is creating a modern infrastructure related to healthcare services across the country. The relentless efforts of the central government has increased the number of institutional deliveries in the hospitals. Maternal Mortality Rate and Infant Mortality Rate have reduced considerably due to the regular monitoring of the health of pregnant mothers and children and the addition of 5 new vaccines in the immunization programme.
The government is trying to ensure that the health Infrastructure in and around the big cities should be strengthened and similar facilities should be made available in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. For this, the government is working at two broad levels. Firstly, our existing hospitals are being laced with more facilities. Secondly, health care services are being delivered to the remote areas of the country.
Friends,
The number of AIIMS that has been approved in the last 4 years is more than those approved in the last 70 years of independence. Thirteen new AIIMS have been approved of which work on the 8 has already been started. Besides, the construction of super-specialty hospitals in 15 medical colleges across the country is in progress.
Friends,
A health care system is being developed for New India where hospitals will be affordable and adequate with best facilities and the number of doctors and beds will be more. New opportunities are also being created in Medical Education keeping this goal in mind. Our government is working to upgrade hospitals in 58 Districts into Medical Colleges. In this year's budget, the government had decided to set up 24 new Medical Colleges. The Government has tried to have at least one medical college for three Lok Sabha seats. In the last four years, around 25,000 new seats of undergraduate or postgraduate medical courses have been added nationwide. The government has also made the admission process more transparent.
Friends,
The vision of this government is not limited to just hospitals, illness and medicines or modern facilities. A National Health Policy has been framed with the same objective, to ensure the treatment of every person in the country and to reduce the causes that make people sick. Our government has also tried to take out health care from the purview of the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Rural Development is also associated with this vision on health care. The ministry of sanitation and drinking water is also linked with it. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has also been associated with it. And they are all getting support from our traditional health services and also from the AYUSH Ministry. Schemes have been formulated by the government in view of the link between illness and poverty. There has been a lot of effort to implement them. The major cause of poverty is illness. Therefore, preventing disease means reduction of poverty as well. Ceaseless efforts are being made in this direction. The construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, vaccination in remote areas under Mission Indradhanush, National Mission on Nutrition and myriad ambitious schemes like Ayushman India are reducing the expenditure by the poor on diseases. The country was never before so serious about the work on Preventive or Affordable Healthcare.
National Health Protection Scheme or Ayushman Bharat is also an important link in this direction. Under this scheme, work on setting up of Health and wellness centres in about 1.5 lakh i.e. in every major Panchayat is going on. In the future, these centers will provide modern facilities for testing and treatment for identifying the disease. The people living in towns and villages are going to highly benefit out of it. The work is underway to provide free treatment up to Rs.5 lakhs to the poor and the lower Middle class in case of serious illnesses. We are making efforts to link maximum possible states with this scheme. Discussions are going on also with the private hospitals. Broadly speaking, various stakeholders have agreed upon different matters and very soon we are going to come up with the world's largest health insurance scheme.
Friends,
This scheme is not only for giving a life to the poor, but also for bringing about a new revolution that will create an unprecedented opportunity in the medical sector. Due to this scheme, the hospitals surrounding the villages and small towns of the country are sure to form a vast network in the future. It is quiet natural to have a large network of new hospitals because once someone else will bear the burden of medical expenses, the patients will definitely visit the hospitals. Earlier they used to avoid going to the hospitals despite being sick. The hospitals and the doctors will also come forward to provide their services as they will be certain about getting their fees. In a way, a system is developing in which we are going to enter a new era in terms of Human Resource Development, medical sector, infrastructure development and a health conscious society. Employment opportunities in this sector is definitely going to rise. We are all aware of the fact that several workers are associated with a single doctor. There is a possibility of providing jobs to several people. Yes, I believe that the compulsion of accommodating modern medical facilities in big cities will also be reduced. People can easily avail these services close to their homes.
Friends,
In the beginning of this month, I had personally communicated with the beneficiaries across the country to know how much did the common man benefit from the affordable health care schemes in the last four years. According to my estimate, there were about 30-40 lakh people before me interacting through approximately 3 lakh centers. One thing was clear from the discussion that there has been a tremendous decline in the medical bills of the lower middle class and the poor people. Friends, you are well aware of the reason for the same. About 1100 essential medicines have been brought under the ambit of the price control system by the government. This has saved the expenditure of about Rs.10 thousand crores on medicines for those families. This scheme has resulted in the savings of more than Rs. 10 thousand crores in one year. More than 3,600 public-medicine centers have been opened across the country. In these centers, more than 700 medicines and more than 150 tools for surgery are available at cheaper prices. Nearly 75-80 lakh patients have also taken advantage of the 50% low-cost medicines in Amrit Stores. Besides, the reduction in the cost of stents and knee plants has saved the country's poor and middle class nearly 5,500 crore rupees. Their prices have become 1/3rd i.e. they have reduced by three times. Moreover, prices of several medicines have fallen after the GST was imposed and the people have benefitted immensely out of it. Dialysis centers have been created in almost every district of the country. Free dialysis facility is being provided to the poor here. So far, 2.5 lakh patients have taken advantage of this. Earlier, the poor had to travel for hundred or two hundred kilometres for getting a free dialysis. Now they are getting this facility in their own districts. Since it was difficult for them to travel such a large distance, they had to spend huge amounts of money for getting a dialysis done in nearby hospitals. Now this dialysis facility will help them to save about Rs.1500- Rs.2000. Under this programme, about 25 lakh free dialysis sessions have already been conducted. Besides, Yoga has also established its identity as a Preventative Health Care mechanism. Earlier people used to make fun of Yogis, but now yoga has carved a niche for itself in the entire world. Although I cannot claim that yoga can turn a hedonist into a Yogi but it can definitely save him from falling ill. Today, yoga has become a mass movement in the world. We have seen that the International Yoga Day was celebrated a few days back. I was also told that of late, there has been a lot of awareness regarding yoga even in AIIMS. All my doctor friends were also doing yoga. I was delighted!
Friends,
It is the aim of the government to deliver healthcare services to every citizen but it is not possible without your i.e. the entire medical sector's cooperation and support. Just as the country is progressing towards a New India, the people associated with the health sector should also make some resolutions. If I am a doctor or a medical professional, I should achieve these targets by 2022 that will mark 75 years of India's independence. This is the environment that needs to be created. The government is working to make India TB-free by 2025. Financial assistance of Rs.500 will be provided to the TB patients every month, keeping their health in mind.
Friends,
The other countries have set their target to make themselves free of TB by 2030. We have to fulfil our resolution as soon as possible. The world wants to become TB-free by 2030 but we want to achieve this goal by 2025. The entire world is watching India and wondering if she can achieve this goal. I have complete faith in the country's medical sector that it will work on this challenge with full commitment and will bring fame to the country. Maternal Mortality Rate and Infant Mortality Rate are also important issues in this context. Like I said, the country has made great strides in this area in the last four years but to minimize the maternal and infant mortality rates we all need to make greater efforts. Thus, work on mission mode is going on under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and National Nutrition Mission. Work must be done by making this mission as life's mission. Maximum people should be associated with this in the form of a mass movement so as to get the desired results as soon as possible. We need to move ahead with this belief.
Friends,
Due to the prevalence of an environment of honesty and transparency, more and more people are coming forward to make their contributions to the nation building. People now believe that every penny of their taxes paid is being used for the welfare of the country. We can see the results of this faith at every level of the society. You might remember that while I had requested the people of my country those who could afford to, from the Red Fort to give up the gas subsidy. I had received such a great response from 1crore 25 lakh families who gave up their subsidies. Otherwise, it is believed that in our country people are reluctant to give up any provision. This is a natural behavior. If you are travelling by flight and the seat next to you is empty, and the flight is about to take off and no passenger has yet occupied it, you start putting your things like mobile phone, book etc. on that seat even if it's not your seat. However, if the passenger comes and sits, you have a feeling of not letting go of that seat. You are reluctant to give it away. There are 25 crore families with this mentality and 1 crore 25 lakh families out of them have given up their gas subsidies just on one appeal of mine. We can clearly see the country's strength and mood. I want to share one more thing with you. You must be knowing that senior citizens get a concession on their tickets. In a similar manner, a few days ago, I had thought of announcing it but the railway authorities included it in the form -" senior citizens willing to give up their concession". You will be surprised to know that just by adding this in the railway reservation form, about 42 lakh senior citizen passengers have given up their subsidies in the last 8-9 months. This is the strength of our country. This is the environment in the country. Once I had appealed to the doctors of my country that they should come forward on the 9th of every month to aid the poor pregnant women. They should check them up and guide them. I am glad that thousands of doctors have come forward. They have put a board outside their hospitals and free services are provided on the 9th of every month to the pregnant women. Crores of sisters have benefitted out of it. I would like more of my doctor friends to come forward as we all together have to carry our nation two steps ahead for dealing with these challenges of the country. About 1crore 25 lakh pregnant women have been diagnosed under Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva abhiyan. I would like to praise all the doctors and the medical professionals for their cooperation. I would like this to be taken ahead. This expression of service is being used in Gram Swaraj Abhiyan. We had organized a programme. Some things are not shown on the television for 24 hours or are not written about in the newspapers' headlines. We had organised a Gram SwarajAbhiyan. We had selected 17 villages on the basis of certain parameters and 7 tasks were allotted. Those villages have to complete the 7 tasks 100%. One of the tasks is immunization. This means people from different sectors are being linked to increase the level of immunization in the health sector in the country. It is something commendable. It has been possible only because of your cooperation that today the rate of vaccination has increased to 6%. 6% might sound like a very low amount. But it was not even 1% before. Due to your commitment, the country is moving more and more towards achieving the goal of 100% immunization.
The resolution of immunization of every pregnant woman and infant in the country will play a crucial role in the formation of a New India by creating healthy families.
Friends,
A healthy society is created only by a healthy family and a healthy nation is created by a healthy society. All of us and specially you are responsible for keeping the nation healthy. Therefore, the President also labelled you as an important lobby for nation building. Come, let us together with the government accomplish the resolution of 'सर्वेभवन्तुसुखिनःसर्वेसन्तुनिरामयाःसर्वेभद्राणिपश्यन्तु। माकश्चित्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥' to make this world and its people disease-free and move towards building a New India. I would like to congratulate this department for making all the arrangements and providing all the facilities to Delhi and the country. They had made every effort to complete all these tasks in a time bound manner. This is because I had requested them that only that work should be started which can be completed. Once there was a situation in the Parliament that commitments were made on the sacred floor of the Parliament during Railway budget. I noted that in the last 30, 40, 50 years, almost 1500 things were announced just in the railways sector. When I questioned about those things, they were not even on papers, forget about getting it done on ground. We don't want to deviate to that path. We have not come here to flash our achievements but to accomplish our resolution of bringing about a transformation and to ask for your cooperation. We have started off with our journey to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the country with your cooperation. Friends, I believe that you will also cooperate with us.
Thanks a lot!
