PM Modi says Health sector budget has been doubled to more than 2 lakh crore rupees: Highlights

New Delhi, July 01: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the doctor community on Doctors' Day today. He said this day, celebrated in the memory of Doctor BC Roy, is the symbol of the highest ideals of our medical fraternity.

He thanked the Doctors on behalf of 130 crore Indians for their services during the difficult times in last one and half years of the pandemic. He was addressing an event organized by Indian Medical Association via video conference today.

Acknowledging the doctor's contribution, the Prime Minister recalled their heroic efforts during the pandemic and paid homage to those who laid down their lives in the service of humanity.

The Prime Minister said that our scientists and doctors have found solutions for all the challenges thrown by Corona. Our doctors are facing this new and fast mutating virus on the basis of their experience and expertise.

Despite the limitations of long-neglected medical infrastructure and pressure of population, India's per lakh population rate of infection and death rate is still manageable compared to even developed countries. Loss of lives is always painful but many lives have been saved too. Credit goes to hard-working doctors, healthcare workers, frontline workers for saving many lives, said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister underlined the focus of the government on strengthening healthcare. During the 'first wave' about 15 thousand crores were allocated for healthcare and this year, health sector budget has been doubled to more than 2 lakh crore rupees. Rs 50 thousand crore have been allocated for credit guarantee scheme to develop health infrastructure in the under-served area. New AIIMS, medical colleges are being established. Work has been initiated on 15 AIIMS as opposed to total six AIIMS that existed in 2014.

Number of Medical colleges have increased one and half times. Under graduate medical seats have increased one and half times and PG seats have grown by 80 per cent, informed the Prime Minister.

Modi reiterated the Government's commitment for the safty of doctors. He mentioned stringent laws that have been brought in for preventing violence against doctors. Along with this, a free insurance cover scheme has been brought for the Covid warriors.

The Prime Minister called upon the doctors to continue to inspire the people to get vaccinated and adopt Covid appropriate behavior. He also commended medical fraternity for spreading awareness about Yoga.

Work for propagating Yoga, that should have been done in the last century after Independence, is being done now, said the Prime Minister. He praised the doctors for giving their time to the evidence-based studies on the benefits of yoga for dealing with post-Covid complications.

The Prime Minister asked if IMA can take up the evidence-based studies on yoga in a mission mode. He also suggested that studies on yoga could be published in international journals.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of documentation of experiences by doctors. Along with the experiences, symptoms of the patients and treatment plan needs to be documented in great details.

This can be taken up as a research study where effects of various medicines and treatments are noted. Shri Modi said that sheer number of patients served by our doctors put them ahead of the world. Now is the time when the world takes cognizance and take benefit from these scientific studies. Covid pandemic can be a good starting point for this.

The Prime Minister wondered if we could study more deeply how vaccines are helping us, how early diagnosis helps. There is no documentation available about the last century's pandemic but now we have technology and our documentation about how we faced Covid will help the humanity, concluded the Prime Minister.

Here are the Highlights of PM Modi's address:

• On behalf of 130 crore Indians, I want to thank all the doctors, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Today, when the nation is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors have worked tirelessly to save lakhs of lives. There have been those doctors who laid down their lives saving the lives of others. I pay homage to all those doctors who made the supreme sacrifice.
• 'Many doctors lost life fighting Covid. Coronavirus is mutating, doctors are meeting challenges'
• This year too, the budgeted allocation for health has more than doubled to over ₹ 2 lakh crores.
• Today the number of hospitals, the number of AIIMS across the nation, the number of medical colleges have started or are being built. With these, people in the remotest parts of the nation will be able to fulfil their dreams of becoming doctors.
• We have come up with a Credit Guarantee Scheme of Rs 50,000 crores to strengthen the health infrastructure in such areas, where there is a lack of health facilities
• During the first wave, the Centre had allocated 15,000 crores as a special fund to increase the health infrastructure in the nation.
• Today, our doctors are making & implementing protocols for COVID19. Earlier, we all saw how medical infrastructure was ignored. Despite all problems, India's condition was somewhere stable than other developed countries.
• I ask you all to follow COVID appropriate behaviour with more awareness. These days, people from medical fraternity are coming forward to promote Yoga. Many modern medical science institutions are doing studies on how yoga is helping in fighting post-COVID complication