Darbhanga, Nov 13 :
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of proposed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Darbhanga and reiterated the commitment of his government for development and welfare, including improving the medical facilities for the people particularly poor and deprived.
Modi, while addressing a function organised to mark the laying of foundation stone of AIIMS and launching of several other projects worth Rs 12,000 crores, said a number of initiatives had been taken by his government to provide quality treatment facilities to poor at the nearest places from their houses.
“Congress government could establish only one AIIMS in the country during the long period of sixty years of its governance and it is based in New Delhi “, the PM said, adding that the then Congress government talked about four to five more AIIMS but nothing concrete was done in this direction.
With laying of foundation stone of AIIMS in Darbhanga, there would be nearly two dozen AIIMS in the country which was result of sustained efforts of his government to improve healthcare facilities, he asserted.
Ayushman Bharat Yojana launched by his government was biggest medical insurance in the world and 4 crore people had been treated free of cost under this scheme so far, Modi pointed out.
He said that medical facilities would be available for millions of people residing not only in north Bihar but also Nepal and other neighbouring areas, once construction work of AIIMS was completed and made functional. It would also help in boosting employment opportunities for youths of the region, the Prime Minister said.
Modi said that during Lok Sabha election, he had promised to extend coverage of Ayushman Bharat scheme to all citizens above the age of 70 years, irrespective of their financial conditions and categories. It was pleasure for him that he had fulfilled the promise as people above the age of 70 years were now getting benefits of this scheme, he added.
The PM said that his government had decided to provide teaching in Hindi in Medical and Engineering colleges which would enable the youths from middle class and poor to become engineers and doctors. Poor and middle class had no resources to send their children to english medium schools and consequently they lagged behind in getting admitted to medical and engineering colleges due to language problem, he pointed out.
Modi said that one lakh seats had been added in medical colleges in last ten years and 75,000 more seats would be added in years to come. A cancer hospital had been established in Muzaffarpur which would prove to useful for patients of Bihar, he added.
“A super speciality eye hospital would also be opened in Bihar and process for the purpose has already been initiated”, the PM said and added that scenario in all sectors had changed for the better since NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was voted to power in 2005.
He appreciated good governance model of Nitish Kumar, working efficiently in the interest of people of Bihar.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while addressing the function said that erstwhile Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had approved for setting of AIIMS in Patna on his request. Now, Modi had come to lay foundation stone of AIIMS in Darbhanga, which would be second in Bihar, he added.
The CM assured all assistance of his government in setting up AIIMS in Darbhanga.
Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey and several other important dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
