PM Modi launches health care projects worth Rs 12850 Cr; lays foundation stone for central yoga research centre in Odisha

In a major push to the health sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched various development projects worth around Rs 12,850 crore across the country and virtually laid foundation stone for a central research institute in yoga and naturopathy in Khordha on the occasion of ninth Ayurveda Day and the birth anniversary of Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of medicine.

PM Modi also extended his government's flagship health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above during a special event organised in Delhi to mark the occasion.

During the event, PM Modi also inaugurated a Critical Care Block in Bargarh and a Super Speciality Block in Government Medical College at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh.

PM Modi also inaugurated phase II of India's first All India Institute of Ayurveda in the national capital which includes a Panchakarma hospital, an Ayurvedic pharmacy for drug manufacturing, a sports medicine unit, a central library, an IT and startup incubation centre, and a 500-seat auditorium among others.

In an innovative usage of drone technology to enhance service delivery and make healthcare more accessible, Modi launched drone services at 11 tertiary healthcare institutions. These are AIIMS-Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, AIIMS-Bibinagar in Telangana, AIIMS-Guwahati in Assam, AIIMS-Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, AIIMS-Jodhpur in Rajasthan, AIIMS-Patna in Bihar, AIIMS-Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, AIIMS-Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, AIIMS-Raipur in Chhattisgarh, AIIMS-Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh and RIMS-Imphal in Manipur.

The PM also launched a helicopter emergency medical service from AIIMS Rishikesh, which will help deliver medical care speedily. Besides, the PM inaugurated a U-WIN portal that seeks to benefit pregnant women and infants by fully digitising the vaccination process. It will ensure timely administration of life-saving vaccines to pregnant women and children (from birth to 16 years) against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases, PTI reported.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated three medical colleges at Mandsaur, Neemuch and Seoni in Madhya Pradesh, besides facility and service extensions at various AIIMS -- Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, Kalyani in West Bengal, Patna in Bihar, Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Guwahati in Assam and in New Delhi, which also include a Jan Aushadhi Kendra.

Some Other Projects Inaugurated By PM Modi:

- Five nursing colleges in Shivpuri, Ratlam, Khandwa, Rajgarh and Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh

- 21 critical care blocks at Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, and several facilities and service extensions at AIIMS in New Delhi and Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur

- ESIC hospital at Indore in Madhya Pradesh and laid the foundation stone for such hospitals at Faridabad in Haryana, Bommasandra and Narasapur in Karnataka, Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, and Atchutapuram in Andhra Pradesh

- Central research institute in yoga and naturopathy at Raipur in Chhattisgarh

- Centres of excellence at NIPER-Ahmedabad for medical devices, at NIPER-Hyderabad for bulk drugs, NIPER-Guwahati for phytopharmaceuticals, and NIPER-Mohali for anti-bacterial anti-viral drug discovery and development

- Inaugurated five projects under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for medical devices and bulk drugs at Vapi in Gujarat, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh

(With PTI Inputs)