India will have more doctors in next decade than it had in past 70 years: PM Modi

PM Modi, while addressing the launch function of PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh said, "In the next 10-12 years, the nation is going to receive a number of doctors that will be more than the number of doctors that graduated out of medical colleges in the 70 years after independence."

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He said that the quick pace with which new medical colleges are being started in UP will positively impact the number of medical seats available.

"Due to more number of seats, now the children of poor parents too can dream of becoming a doctor and fulfil it," the Prime Minister said.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission aims to tackle the deficiency of healthcare facilities. The aim is to strengthen the critical healthcare network from village to block to the district to the regional and national level in the next 4-5 years.

Describing the initiative taken by the government under the new Mission, the Prime Minister said that there are 3 major aspects of the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission to address the different gaps in the health sector of the country.

The first is related to the creation of elaborate facilities for diagnostics and treatment. Under this, Health and Wellness Centers are being opened in villages and cities, where there will be facilities for early detection of diseases. Facilities like free medical consultation, free tests, free medicine will be available in these centres. For serious illness, 35 thousand new critical care-related beds are being added in 600 districts and referral facilities will be given in 125 districts.

The second aspect of the scheme, the Prime Minister said, is related to the testing network for the diagnosis of diseases. Under this mission, the necessary infrastructure will be developed for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases. 730 districts of the country will get Integrated Public Health labs and 3 thousand blocks will get Block Public Health Units. Apart from that, 5 Regional National Centers for Disease Control, 20 Metropolitan units, and 15 BSL labs will further strengthen this network, said the Prime Minister.

The Third aspect, according to the Prime Minister, is the expansion of existing research institutions that study pandemics. Existing 80 Viral Diagnostic and research labs will be strengthened, 15 Biosafety level 15 labs will be operationalized, 4 new National institutes of Virology and a National Institute for One Health are being established. WHO regional research platform for South Asia will also strengthen this network. "This means, through PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission an entire ecosystem for services from treatment to critical research will be created in every corner of the country", said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister further highlighted the employment potential of these measures and said that PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, along with health, is also a medium of aatmnirbharta. "It is a part of the effort to achieve holistic health care. Which means healthcare that is affordable and accessible to all." Shri Modi said that holistic healthcare focuses on wellness along with health. Schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala, Poshan Abhiyan, Mission Indradhanush have saved crores of people from disease. More than 2 crore poor people got free treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojna and Many health related issues are being solved through Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister remarked that today there is a government at the Center and in the state which understands the pain of the poor, downtrodden, oppressed, backward and middle class. "We are working day and night to improve health facilities in the country", said the Prime Minister.

He also slammed the previous governments in the Centre and said that the health infrastructure of the nation was not given attention for a long period of time after independence.

Notably, according to the Prime Minister's Office, PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country. It will be in addition to the National Health Mission.

The objective of the scheme is to fill critical gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas.

It will provide support for 17,788 rural Health and Wellness Centres in 10 High Focus States. Further, 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centres will be established in all the States.

On the occasion, PM Modi also inaugurated various development projects worth around Rs 5200 crore for Varanasi. Governor and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Union Ministers, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, State Ministers and people's representatives were among those present on the occasion.

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