Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 12 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated 110 self-sufficient mobile medical units at Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata on Monday.
CM Banerjee, who is also the state’s health minister-in-charge, stated that an additional 100 medical units would be deployed soon.
“We have spent 84 crores to build 210 such units. Today, 110 have been inaugurated. This is not like other units. This will be self-sufficient, having doctors and nurses, technicians. The remaining 100 will be done soon. Pregnant women and children will get great help. People will get 35 diagnostic tests free of cost, which include haemoglobin, pregnancy test, ECG, blood sugar test. Pregnant women will have access to ultrasonography. This will cost us over Rs 2 crores 50 lakhs, which amounts to 30 crores annually. During Left rule in Bengal, the government’s health budget was Rs 3,500 crore. After we came to power, that amount increased to Rs 21,500 crore. Under the Swasthya Sathi scheme, a provision of Rs 5 lakh has been made.”, CM Mamata Banerjee said.
CM Mamata Banerjee stated that through this initiative, two crore 45 lakh families, totalling eight crore 72 lakh people, receive healthcare benefits. CM Banerjee explained the reasons behind launching Swasthya Sathi and providing free treatment for the poor.
“When I was in the Opposition, I saw people dying while waiting for hospital admission because there was no space. Even then, I had thought that poor people must get free healthcare. Today, that vision has become reality, in our state hospitals, treatment is free and even generic medicines are being provided. We give the full money for Swasthya Sathi. Everyday 7000 people visit private hospitals. Without any fees, 90 lakh people are being treated in private hospitals. We have spent Rs 13,000 crores in it,” she said.
“The other day, someone complained to me that a private hospital in Barasat said they would accept only Rs 2 lakh under Swasthya Sathi and that the remaining amount had to be paid out of pocket. But why? The scheme covers Rs 5 lakh. I immediately instructed to issue a show-cause notice or cancel their licence. No one has the right to do this,” she further said.
She further said that nearly 6 crores 90 lakh people have benefited from telemedicine, adding that today, there are 99.5 per cent institutional deliveries.
“Under Sishu Sathi, 64,000 children have been operated for heart ailments without any money. Which state has such facilities? For public health infrastructure, we have spent Rs 70,000 crores. 14 new government medical colleges, 42 super-speciality hospitals, 13,500 health centres and 12,000 are in process. 76 CCUs 3 HDUs, 17 mother and child hub, 13 mother and waiting hub have been built. In government hospitals, 40,000 beds have been increased.
The Chief Minister also remarked on SIR, without directly referencing it, stating that birth certificates were rare in the past, recalling her conversation with former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
During our time, there were hardly any institutional births. How many hospitals were there? I myself was born at home, like most others back then. Our education certificates often became our official birth certificates. There are many cases like mine,” she added, “One day, I had asked him, ‘Atal ji, were you born on the same day as Jesus Christ, on December 25?’ He replied, No, Mamata di, that is not my real birthday. Whatever date my parents had registered officially became my birthday. I told him mine was the same, and not to call me on my ‘official’ birthday.” (ANI)
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