350 medical colleges inaugurated, One every month in last 9 years: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi visited the Shantivan complex of Brahma Kumaris in Abu Road, Rajasthan on Wednesday. He laid the foundation stone for a Super Speciality Charitable Global Hospital, the second phase of Shivmani Old Age Home and the extension of the Nursing College. The PM Modi also witnessed a cultural performance on the occasion.

Also Read:GMC Machilipatnam gets NMC nod for 150 MBBS seats

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said that in this epoch of 'Amrit Kaal', all the social and religious institutions have a big role to play.

"This Amrit Kaal is Kartavya Kaal for every citizen of the country. This means that we should fulfil our responsibility completely," he said.

Prime Minister said India is undergoing the transformation of health facilities while elaborating on the role of Ayushman Bharat in spreading the feeling of access to medical treatment among the poor sections. He said Ayushman Bharat has opened the doors of not only the government but also the private hospitals for the poor.

He informed that more than 4 crore poor patients have already availed the benefits under the scheme, thus helping them save Rs 80,000 crore. Similarly, Jan Aushadhi Scheme saved about Rs 20,000 crores of poor and middle-class patients.

Underlining the "unprecedented developments" in the country to address the lack of doctors, nurses and medical staff in the country, Prime Minister Modi informed that one medical college has been inaugurated every month on average in the last nine years. He pointed out that less than 150 medical colleges had been inaugurated in the decade before 2014 when the BJP came to power at the Centre.

He added that in the last 9 years, the government has inaugurated more than 350 medical colleges.

Drawing comparisons before and after 2014, PM Modi noted that the country had roughly 50,000 seats for MBBS every year whereas that number has gone up to more than 1 lakh today. He added that the number of postgraduate seats has gone up to more than 65,000 from roughly 30,000 before 2014. "When intentions are clear and there is a sense of social service, then such resolutions are taken and accomplished," PM Modi added.

The number of doctors produced in India over the next decade will be the same as the number of medical practitioners in the last seven decades after independence, PM Modi remarked, also highlighting the opportunities opening up in the field of nursing.

He informed that acceptance to more than 150 nursing colleges has been given in the country and more than 20 nursing colleges will come in Rajasthan itself which will also benefit the upcoming Super Speciality Charitable Global Hospital.

Prime Minister Modi also touched upon Shree Anna and India's push given to millets on the global scale. He emphasised that the nation is taking forward campaigns like natural farming, cleaning our rivers and conserving groundwater.

He said these subjects are linked to the cultures and traditions of the country, which goes back thousands of years.

Also Read:PM Modi inaugurates AIIMS Guwahati, 3 new medical colleges in Assam