Corespondent, Ahmedabad

Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda while interacting with media persons at Circuit House in Ahmedabad at a press conference organized by Gujarat BJP said the centre is working on Aadhar connected health scheme covering 8 crore families. The government is planning to provide Rs 1 lakh annual health coverage to Economic Weaker Section class family. For every senior citizen in family there will be additional Rs 30,000 relief in expenditure. The assistant money will not be given to individual but the institutes that provide services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched accidental insurance and life insurance schemes in Kolkata to bring these poor people in social security net.

In reply to a question related to AIIMS, Nadda said Gujarat will get All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) soon.

He said the location of AIIMS will be decided mutually.

When asked, “Bharat Mata Ki Jay first and AIIMS then after?” Nadda replied, “it is because of Bharat Mata Ki Jay that Gujarat will get AIIMS. People elected a government believing in Bharat Mata Ki Jay and therefore so many states are getting AIIMS.” He added that during 1956-2000 there was only one AIIMS and India had to wait for Atal Bihar Vajpayee to become Prime Minister to see the second AIIMS. During Atalji’s government 5 AIIMS were established, and now Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has planned 11 AIIMS. Taking AIIMS to states was NDA government concept and we will take this concept ahead.

Responding to the question related to lack of doctors in government health facilities, Shri Nadda said there’s an issue of shortage in supply of doctors nationwide, and to increase the supply, MCI guidelines need changes. Some relaxations in medical education sector have been already made to increase the supply of doctors.

When asked about medical students not going to rural areas as mandated by government, Nadda said increasing the amount of bond is not answer to this issue. Some states have increase the amount of bond but that has not resolved the issue. Even offering post graduated vacancy has not addressed the issue. The only answer to this issue is to increase supply of doctors by making changes in Medical Council of India(MCI) guidelines. Medical education has to be reoriented with target of rural coverage.

– DeshGujarat