Previous govts left people to suffer from diseases: PM Modi after inaugurating nine new medical colleges in UP

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (October 25, 2021) gave Diwali gifts to Uttar Pradesh and inaugurated nine medical colleges in the state. He inaugurated the medical colleges virtually from the Siddharthnagar district in the presence of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Launching a scathing attack on the Opposition, PM Modi said that the previous governments had left people of 'Purvanchal' to suffer from diseases but now it will become a medical hub of Northern India.

He added, "Earlier, Purvanchal's image was ruined by previous governments, it was defamed because of 'dimagi' fever. The same region will now infuse new hopes."

The medical colleges have been built at a cost of Rs 2,329 crore and are located in Siddharthnagar, Etah, Hardoi, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Deoria, Ghazipur, Mirzapur and Jaunpur districts.

"With the creation of nine new medical colleges, about two and a half thousand new beds have been created, new employment opportunities have been created. Purvanchal will now be the new medical hub of the country," the Prime Minister said while addressing a gathering. 

"People had to rush to big cities for treatment, but with the new medical colleges, those days will be over," he added.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, eight medical colleges have been sanctioned under a Centrally sponsored scheme for the establishment of new medical colleges attached with district or referral hospitals and the one at Jaunpur has been made functional by the state government through its own resources.

"Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, preference is given to underserved, backward and aspirational districts. The Scheme aims to increase the availability of health professionals, correct the existing geographical imbalance in the distribution of medical colleges and effectively utilize the existing infrastructure of district hospitals. Under three phases of the Scheme, 157 new medical colleges have been approved across the nation, out of which 63 medical colleges are already functional," the PMO said.

Later in the day, PM Modi will leave for his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, where he is scheduled to launch the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. He will also inaugurate various development projects worth around Rs 5200 crore for Varanasi.