In a double engine government, there is no room for exclusive, pick and choose approaches which obstruct development and tarnish the image of a society, said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, underscoring the importance of inclusive development with benefits of schemes reaching to every person without discrimination.

Speaking at a programme to inaugurate a 500-bed Super Specialty Block at Uttar Pradesh Medical Sciences University in Saifai, the Chief Minister said previously the mere names of Saifai and Etawah were enough to scare a person. However, today youths from all over the country were coming to the cities to study medicine, he added.

Mentioning an anecdote from his own life, he said that once while travelling to Kanpur from Agra he was stopped by the police on the pretext that travelling at night to the city could be risky, adding that the fear no longer exists in these cities.

The Chief Minister appealed to the doctors of the University of Medical Sciences to attend to as many patients as possible as every patient provides a new learning experience to the doctor.

In addition to opening a 500-bed Super Specialty Block at the Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, CM Adityanath inaugurated/ laid the foundation stone of 37 development projects worth Rs 147 crore in Etawah district. It included inauguration of 24 projects worth Rs 34.66 crore and laying the foundation stone of 13 projects worth Rs 112.59 crore.

The Chief Minister mentioned the transformation taking place in rural areas in the wake of the ongoing construction of new medical colleges and hospitals in different districts of the state. “From 1947 to 2017, there were only 12 medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh. At present, 45 UP districts boast of having medical colleges, while construction is underway in 20 more”, he stated.

Drawing a similarity with the situation at the Centre, he pointed out that until 1998, India had only one All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). However, under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, six new AIIMS were established in the country, he remarked, adding that the number of AIIMS has increased to 22 under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership today.

Meanwhile, the CM paid tribute to former Chief Minister of the state Mulayam Singh Yadav and credited him with the construction of Uttar Pradesh Medical Sciences University in his village. However, he highlighted that the inauguration of the Medical University was merely symbolic, marked by the breaking of a coconut, and an allocation of only a nominal sum of Rs 1 lakh despite the requirement of Rs 500 crore.

Furthermore, the Chief Minister described the Medical Science University as ‘Mini India’ where students and professionals from across the country come to study and engage in professional activities.

The CM informed that out of the intended issuance of 10 crore Ayushman cards to the residents of the state, 5 crore have already been distributed.

Discussing improvements in the functioning of the Health Department’s Dial 108 and Dial 102 systems, he stated that the response time, which was previously between 45 minutes to half an hour, has now been reduced to 9 to 10 minutes. He mentioned that all ambulances were now monitored from Lucknow.

The CM accused the previous government of not accepting the offer of 150 cardiac vans from Prime Minister Modi in 2014. However, after his government came into power in 2017, the state received 150 Advance Life Support ambulances within a month, followed by an additional 100 ambulances. Subsequently, four Advanced Life Support ambulances were provided in each district, benefiting thousands of people, he informed.

The Chief Minister further elaborated on how his government, through inter-departmental coordination involving 13-14 departments, has significantly curtailed the prevalence of encephalitis. Adityanath also emphasised the significance of doctors’ interactions with patients in ensuring effective treatment, while assuring provision of state-of-the-art facilities by the government.

“Every patient represents a potential research opportunity, and doctors should document their findings accordingly. Your research endeavors will prove invaluable for humanity, particularly in third world countries,” he remarked.

On the occasion, state Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Minister of State Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, MP Ramshankar Katheria, Etawah Sadar MLA Sarita Bhadauria, Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education Partha Sarathi Sen Sharma, University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Prabhat Kumar Singh, former MP Raghuraj Singh Shakya, BJP District president Sanjeev Rajput, faculty members and students of the university were present.

The Chief Minister presented appointment letters to the candidates selected in a fair and transparent manner in Uttar Pradesh Medical Sciences University.

Additionally, the Chief Minister presented the ISO 9001-2015 certificate bagged by Etawah Collectorate to District Magistrate Avnish Rai for excellence of work aligned with international standards.