Anand, 26 December, 2011

Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his resolve to give equal emphasis to preventive healthcare as part of the state’s policy for a healthy Gujarat.

Inaugurating the silver jubilee function of Pramukhswami Medical College at Karamsad, he praised the contribution of late former Union Minister H.M. Patel and the Charutar Arogya Mandal for setting up the medical complex at Karamsad. He also laid the foundation stone for the Ramanbhai Gokal Health Privilege Centre at the Shrikrishna Hospital premises.

He said that the Government laid equal importance to human resource development alongside physical infrastructure. The effort is to ensure pure air, pure water and pure diet for the people to let them live a healthy life.

Mr. Modi said that Ahmedabad was once considered to be one of he most polluted city of India, but with the Narmada canal water flowing through the Sabarmati the quality of water has improved, even as the Ahmedabad city becomes the most livable city in the country. At the state level, he said, the Narmada water has helped provide piped water to 4,000 villages which were earlier served through tankers.

He said the Gujarat Government has entered into an agreement with 1,000 private medical practitioners to provide quality maternity and obstetric services as a result of which 83 per cent of births take place in hospitals now, as against 37 per cent earlier. The 108 Emergency Mobile Service has helped 23,000 critical cases in hospitals.

Health Minister Jay Narayan Vyas said the capacity of the Medical College has been increased by 90 per cent to 925 seats now.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Charutar Arogya Mandal President Hasmukhbhai Patel, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Chairman Dr Amrita Patel, Karamsad Medical College Dean Dr Utpala Kharode and Alumni Association President Dr Rakesh Joshi.

Prominent among those present on the occasion included Silver Jubilee Function Chief Ambalal Rohit, District Panchayat President Jashwantsinh Solanki, legislators Jyotsnaben Patel and Shirishbhai Shukla, donors, alumni and students.