Healthy India key towards realising Viksit Bharat goal: HM Shah

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) The concept of a Viksit Bharat (developed India) cannot be realised by being unwell and that is why it is very important that every citizen remains healthy, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.

HM Shah further stated that all countrymen should take good diet, adequate water, adequate sleep and regular exercise, “the rest Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will take the responsibility of taking care of your health”.

Speaking at a programme organised by the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) on the occasion of World Liver Day, HM Shah said that everyone should take a pledge to keep their ‘liver’ healthy with awareness, diligence and complete information.

Sharing his experience of a healthy lifestyle, the Home Minister said that there has been a huge change in his life since May 2020. HM Shah said that young people can achieve a lot in their lives with water, diet, exercise and sleep as per the requirements of the body.

The Union Home Minister said that the Ministry of AYUSH is working to develop a system so that we do not fall ill.

“Today, even big allopathic hospitals are opening AYUSH wings. The mental and physical health of a person was included in the idea of World Yoga Day,” he noted.

PM Modi-led government is bearing the entire cost of treatment, up to Rs 5 lakh, for crores of people of the country. The government is also bearing all expenses up to Rs 5 lakh for the treatment of citizens above 70 years of age.

PM Modi-led government has spent Rs 65,000 crore to build the health infrastructure in the country and has made arrangements to make every Primary Health Center (PHC) and Community Health Center (CHC) a complete unit.

For generic medicines, a network of more than 15,000 Jan Aushadhi Centres has been opened in the country and through these centres, medicines are available up to 80 per cent cheaper.

Under ‘Mission Indradhanush’, arrangements have been made for free vaccination of children from birth to the age of 15 years and 1 crore 32 lakh mothers were also vaccinated.

Under the e-Sanjeevani app, the work of providing more than 30.9 crore digital medical consultations from top health institutions in rural areas across the country has been carried out.

In 2014, there were seven AIIMS in the country and today, the number has reached 23. There were 387 medical colleges in 2014 and today, it stands at 780. There were 51,000 MBBS seats which have increased to 1.18 lakh and 75,000 more seats are going to be added, according to HM Shah.

--IANS

na/pgh