Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for its "holistic" approach in addressing health issues faced by the public.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Adichunchanagiri University (ACU) Bengaluru campus.
"Our leader and PM Modi had said several years ago in Gujarat that poverty's biggest issue is illness, and the cost of treatment; the administration has to provide for the treatment of illness for the poor. I can say with pride today that Modi, when he became the Prime Minister, has fulfilled it by providing 60 crore poor with free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh," Shah said.
The Modi government has addressed the problem of health with a holistic view, with initiatives like building toilets in about 12 crore houses, through Fit India movement, Yoga Day, Mission Indradanush and Poshan Abhiyaan, Ayushman Bharat, and Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, he added.
"In a way, it is being ensured that a citizen doesn't fall ill from the time he/she is in the mother's womb until the person becomes a complete citizen, and in case the person is ill, he takes treatment without paying a higher price for it," he added.
Major efforts were taken to increase the number of doctors in the country, Shah said. In 2014, the country had 7 AIIMS, and today there are 23 AIIMS, and the number of medical colleges has increased from 387 to 780.
"There were 51,000 MBBS seats then (2014), today it is 1,18,000, and the number of PG seats was 31,000, today it is 74,000. So, 1,18,000 MBBS doctors and 74,000 double graduate doctors are coming out every year in the country," he added.
Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy and Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V Somanna, and Nirmalanandanatha Mahaswamiji of the Adichunchanagiri Math were present.
