Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates SBRS Mahavir Cancer Hospital

Surat: The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah recently inaugurated Shri Babulal Roopchand Shah Mahavir Cancer Hospital and Shri Phoolchandbhai Jaikishandas Vakharia Sanatorium in Surat, Gujarat.

Several dignitaries were present on the occasion including Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Gujarat.

Shri Amit Shah said that today Surat has got medical institutions with the best facilities in the form of Shri Babulal Roopchand Shah Mahavir Cancer Hospital and Shri Phoolchand Bhai Jaikishandas Vakharia Sanatorium. He said that these institutions will have all the state-of-the-art treatment facilities made available to the people under one roof for cancer treatment.

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Shri Amit Shah said that Surat is an important city and many industries have come up in the city in the last few years. He said Surat has become the centre of economic activity not only of Gujarat but of the whole of western India. In a city that has become a hub of economic activity, it is natural that its population will increase, but despite the increase in population, Surat has maintained a record of cleanliness.

Shri Shah said that medical facilities have increased in Surat due to the construction of many new hospitals, especially government hospitals, and Surat has also managed to make a mark in the health sector as a hub throughout the country. He expressed confidence that the hospital built at a cost of about Rs. 250 crores and with a 110-bed facility, will become a major cancer treatment centre, also catering to the patients of low-income group.

The Home Minister said that along with the hospital, many other state-of-the-art treatment facilities including separate chemotherapy unit, isolation beds, hi-tech operation theatre, radiation therapy, cancer-related surgeries, bone-marrow transplant, nuclear medicine, rehabilitation have been made available in this new hospital, making Surat city self-sufficient in the field of cancer treatment.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that 36 rooms with medical facilities have been arranged for the general public in Shri Phoolchandbhai Jaikishandas Vakharia Sanatorium. He said that those who earlier had to go to Mumbai and Ahmedabad for cancer treatment will now be able to get effective treatment in a well-equipped hospital in their own city.

Shri Amit Shah said that Mahavir Health and Medical Relief Society has created a series of institutions related to the health sector since 1978 in the form of Mahavir General Hospital, BD Mehta Art Institute, RB Shah Super Specialty Hospital, Lakshmipati Mahavir Nursing School and now BR Shah Mahavir Cancer Hospital. He said that the new hospital will provide treatment facilities to the poor with the Maa card and Ayushman card.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has done many path-breaking works in his life, but the best among them has been the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. He said that when crores of poor people of the country are forced to return home without availing proper treatment and lament on seeing huge hospital bills, there can be no greater sorrow than seeing your loved ones dying helplessly in front of your eyes.

He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has liberated about 12 crore families which is around 60 crore people from this misfortune by providing free treatment of up to five lakh rupees. Shri Shah said that the Prime Minister has made such arrangements that no person will now die in the absence of treatment, if the facilities of the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and the Prime Minister's Relief Fund are combined. He stated that, according to the data from Ayushman Arogya Kendras, around 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established across the country, with a total footfall of 317 Crore. He said that the number of people who have received free treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh is more than the number of people living in the whole of Europe.

Shri Amit Shah said that so far 71 crore Abha cards have been made. Under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, about 64 crore rupees have been spent on creating infrastructure. For medicines, there is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana, with ten thousand shops operating across the country. All important medicines are being made available in Jan Aushadhi Kendras at a cost of about 20 to 50 per cent.

He said that about 25 thousand crore rupees have been benefitted by providing affordable medicines to the poor. Shri Shah said that the number of medical colleges in the country has also increased. Since independence, there were 387 medical colleges in the country as of 2014, while this number has increased to 766 in the last 10 years. He said that earlier 51 thousand doctors used to pass out every year, but now every year 1 lakh 15 thousand youth are being given MBBS degree and 73 thousand youth are being given MD or MS degrees. He said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked to uplift India's health sector with a holistic approach.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also taken care of the health of all and has focused on ensuring that people do not fall ill in the first place. Bringing in major changes in the outlook of health sector, Modi ji gave toilets to every house under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Fit India Mission to inspire the youth to give importance to fitness, Poshan Mission to provide children with nutritious meals, Mission Indradhanush to vaccinate children from all types of diseases and infections, Jal Jeevan Mission to provide clean drinking water and promote Ayurveda. Shri Shah said that even today the world does not have a better treatment than Ayurveda to eradicate diseases. Modi ji has inspired people to build strong and healthy bodies through regular yoga and Khelo India.

Shri Amit Shah said that in the year 2013-14, India's health budget was 37 thousand crore rupees, but today under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the country's health budget is 98 thousand crore rupees. He said that the health budget of the country has been increased by almost three times. He said that 130 crore people in the country are middle class and living below the poverty line and Modi ji has always cared for all these people.

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