“The health infrastructure in India witnessed massive progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and about 60 crore underprivileged citizens are availing free health facilities upto Rs 5 lakh,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. He was addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of ‘Swasti Niwas’, a residential complex for cancer patients and their relatives at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in city. Comparing Congress and BJP governments at the Centre, Shah said, “After independence, there were just seven All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the country. While 23 AIIMS were approved under Modi Government in last 10 years.”

 

“During Manmohan Singh era, the budget for the health sector was Rs 37,000 crore, which has now been increased up to Rs 1.35 lakh crore under PM Modi,” said the Union Minister. Applauding the efforts of NCI management in running the institution for the betterment of the society, the Union Home Minister said, “Cancer treatment is prolonged, and the pain of patients and their families is huge. Only those who experience the pain personally have the spirit of service to the society and ease sufferings of people at large.” “Medical sector in foreign countries are different as compared to India. There (other countries), patients go to hospital, take treatment, and come back to their homes. Whereas, in India, our culture teaches us to be with every family member, and in hospitals, family members also live with their patients till their recovery,” added Shah. Mentioning about ‘Swasti Niwas’, he said, “NCI has set an example in medical sector in the form of this residential complex in which the kin of cancer patients will the get state-of-the-art accommodation facilities at the institute itself at a very nominal cost. I am sure that this model will be adopted by other medical institutions in the country too.”

 

“I assured Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of all assistance from the Central Government in setting up a state-of-the-art research facility in NCI premises,” announced the Union Home Minister. Shah expressed confidence that the institute will emerge as the best cancer treatment facility in the country in coming years. He lauded Fadnavis’s efforts in sowing the seeds for the cancer institute. The Union Home Minister also said, good intentions always benefit society. Likewise, efforts of the Government and private institutions do wonders. “'Fadnavis conceptualised the idea for the institute in 2012. Today, as a two-time Chief Minister, he is realising the dream,” added Shah. The Union Home Minister was accompanied by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule at the event. Adv Sunil Manohar, President, NCI; Ajay Sancheti, former MP (Rajya Sabha) and Vice President, NCI; Shailesh Joglekar, General Secretary and CEO; Dr Anand Pathak, Medical Director; Anand Aurangabadkar, Treasurer; Samir Meghe, MLA, Hingna; and others shared the dais.