‘Govt improving health with holistic approach’
Ahmedabad, Dec. 17: The Centre has taken up the mission to improve the health of people with a holistic approach by increasing the budget for it and launching various schemes and campaigns in the last one decade, Union minister Amit Shah has said. Addressing the 6th Advancements in Endourology Conference here on Saturday, Mr Shah also thanked doctors and paramedical staff for working with dedication in the fight against Covid-19.
“The Union as well as state governments and doctors across the country are working together with a holistic approach to improve the health of the people through the implementation of schemes prepared minutely during the last 10 years,” he said.
“The biggest work was to increase the health budget from `33,000 crores to `1.33 lakh crores. The government worked to improve the health infrastructure and increase human resources required for modern medical science,” he added.
Campaigns such as the Swachh Bharat Yojana launched for prevention of diseases as well as initiatives to take health services to every part of the country have played a crucial role, Mr Shah said.
Citing a personal example, he said, “One of my granddaughters was born during Covid-19, and family members decided not to take her to the government hospital for vaccination. The bill for vaccines for the child under nine years in a private hospital was `36,000.”
“As against this, we received a coffee mug and zero bill for my first granddaughter, who was born during normal time and got vaccinated in a municipal hospital,” Mr Shah told the gathering.
Mr Shah also narrated how his sister, who wanted to come to India from the US during the Covid-19 pandemic period after flight services resumed, was unable to do so because she had not received a vaccination certificate even a monthand-half after getting inoculated.
“But in India you got the certificate on your mobile phone within 30 seconds. It was good use of technology by the government. We used technology and apps to make arrangements to provide the receipt of administration of vaccines within 30 seconds,” Mr Shah pointed out.