Every UP dist will get a medical college, says Yogi

Every UP dist will get a medical college, says Yogi

Issues Ayushman Bharat Cards To Beneficiaries

Neha.Lalchandani@timesgroup.com

Lucknow:12.10.2021

Having promised to extend health benefits to those below the poverty line ahead of the 2022 elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued Ayushman Bharat cards to Antyodaya card holders in Lucknow on Monday.

The CM had earlier set targets for all district administrations to identify beneficiaries under various welfare schemes and link them at the earliest. On Monday, as the government extended the Ayushman Bharat health cover to 1 lakh beneficiaries, he promised that before the end of his tenure, there would be one medical college sanctioned for all 75 districts of the state.

“Despite having the highest population in the country and 40 lakh migrant workers who returned to the state during the pandemic, UP arrested the spread of the pandemic through sustained, organised and coordinated efforts, coupled with micro planning and alertness,” Yogi said, adding that the state was serving as a model for others in controlling the spread of the coronavirus like it had earlier managed to prevent Japanese Encephalitis deaths in eastern UP.

Highlighting the efforts made by the government to expand healthcare facilities in the state, Yogi said that between 1947 and 2016, only 15 medical colleges were set up in UP while work on 49 medical colleges was underway.

CM Yogi Adityanath issued Ayushman Bharat cards to Antyodaya card holders in city

CM: Work taking place on 22 AIIMS

On the completion of his government’s five years in power, each district will have a medical college, the CM said.

“From 1947 to 2000, there was only one AIIMS. Between 2000 and 2004, then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee started work on six AIIMS. Currently, work is taking place on 22 AIIMS,” the CM said.

The Ayushman health insurance cards will be distributed to over 40 lakh Antyodaya ration card holder families across districts over the next few days. Under the scheme, over 1.30 crore people will be provided with a health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year.

Dr VK Paul, member of the Centre’s core team for Covid-19 pandemic response, praised the UP government for its work on the pandemic.

“There could have been more than 70,000 cases per day in UP during the second wave, but due to the proactive measures implemented by the state government, the spread was controlled in the densely populated state,” he said.