Gujarat taking undue credit for Centre’s schemes:Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in Ahmedabad(video)

Ahmedabad, 4 January 2014

Union Health Minister Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad addressed media persons in Ahmedabad at Gujarat Congress headquarters on Saturday. He mainly spoke about activities of his department.

Azad criticised the state governments for trying to take credit of launching the health schemes totally funded by the Centre.

“States try to take credit for the health schemes, which are totally funded by the Centre,” he said.

Azad claimed that his ministry had taken unique initiatives to transform the health sector during the UPA I and UPA II regimes.

“More than Rs 4,164.34 crore have been released to Gujarat since the inception of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and for the year 2013-14, the amount released under the scheme is Rs 608.41 crore,” Azad said.

He said that under the NRHM funding, ‘108 Ambulance’ service was made operational in Gujarat.

“Today, 506 ambulances are operational in the state. Under infrastructure strengthening and upgradation of hospitals and health centres, a total of 951 works were sanctioned, which includes 404 new constructions,” Azad said.

“We have introduced free medicine scheme for all in the states and in the first year we have given Rs 2,000 crore from central funds, while 15 states, out of 28, have started it, but I do not know Gujarat has started it or not,” Azad said.

Replying to a query on regulating malpractices by doctors and hospitals, Azad said he was “disappointed” with the states for not adopting the Clinical Establishment Bill, which was passed in the first six months of his tenure as the Health Minister, to address the issue of malpractices.

“Not a single state in the country, be it BJP-led or Congress-led or any other government, have adopted it,” Azad said.