Nitish Kumar emphasized improvement the health infrastructure of Bihar.

Nitish Kumar emphasized improvement the health infrastructure of Bihar.

Patna, August 15: Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, emphasized strengthening the health infrastructure of the state in Patna on Thursday.

Nitish Kumar hoisted the national flag at Historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna during the 78th Independence Day celebration.

While addressing a gathering, Nitish Kumar highlighted the state government’s proposal of 15 new medical colleges in Bihar to enhance healthcare infrastructure in Bihar.

“When I came into power in 2005, there were only six medical colleges in the state, leading to a significant outflow of patients and medical students to other states for treatment and study. Since then we have added five more medical colleges and have proposed to establish 15 more medical colleges, the total will increase substantially, improving the state’s healthcare system and reducing the shortage of doctors in the state,” Kumar said.

“During the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2003, an AIIMS was passed in Patna and now it is operating and benefitting the people. The current Narendra Modi government has approved another AIIMS in Darbhanga and we have already transferred 150.13 acres of land to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to achieve the purpose,” he said.

“In addition to it, the state government is expanding the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) to a capacity of over 5400 beds. One section of the new facility is already built and others will be completed soon,” Nitish Kumar said.

Nitish Kumar highlighted the efforts to address the healthcare needs of cancer patients in the state.

“Over the years, many patients were going to other states for the treatment of cancer. The state government, in collaboration with Tata Memorial, has established a cancer facility in Muzaffarpur, which is already benefitting many residents. Even, the children having holes in their hearts by birth had also travel outside the state for the treatment. The Bihar health department has taken proactive measures, sending 650 such patients to Ahmedabad for treatment, covering all associated costs. Now, a new facility has started in Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in Patna has treated 1457 minor patients suffering from similar heart diseases, further reducing the need for out-of-state medical care,” Kumar claimed.

Apart from healthcare, Nitish Kumar also acknowledged the efforts of the Narendra Modi government in enhancing the infrastructure of Bihar.

“We have a longstanding demand of either the central government should provide special category status to Bihar or a special package. In this union budget, the finance minister has allocated funds for three expressway projects, industrial development, and flood control measures in Bihar and I am thankful the PM Narendra Modi for it,” Kumar said.

Nitish Kumar also elaborated on the ongoing infrastructure initiatives aiming to improve road connectivity.

“The state government is working to reduce travel time from the state capital, Patna to any corner of the state from six to 5 hours. This goal is being pursued through the development of four- and six-lane highways, state highways and bridges. In Patna, the state government has constructed two elevated four-lane roads named Patli Path and Atal Path and many other projects are ongoing. The JP Ganga Pathway also known as Marine Drive has been completed from Digha to Kangan Ghat and it is expected to be completed by Didarganj by December 2024. We are aiming to expand further to Arrah in the west side and Bakhtiyarpur in the east side,” Kumar said in his speech.

Nitish Kumar, without taking the name of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, criticized the previous administration, stating “No significant work was done in Bihar before 2005. We have done many works after coming into power. At that time, the total budget of the Bihar government was Rs 28000 crore and now it has reached Rs 2.78 lakh crore—an almost tenfold rise. These people are now making statements and accusing us but I want to ask them what they did for the improvement of the infrastructure of Bihar. I want to appeal to the journalists to compare the state’s status before and after 2005 to underscore the improvements,” he said.

Also Read: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar once again attacked the RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for promoting dynastic politics on Sunday.

Nitish Kumar also spoke about the significant strides in women’s empowerment in Bihar, mentioning the 50% reservation for women in Panchayats and 35% in jobs. This policy has resulted in over 30,000 women being employed in the Bihar police force, the highest in the country.

Nitish Kumar further highlighted the establishment of 10 lakh 51 thousand self-help groups (Swayam Sahayta Samuh) in rural areas and it has been started in urban areas as well. The state government has been supported by a loan from the World Bank.

Under the Seven Point Program part 2 (Saat Nishchay Yojana) in 2020, Kumar reiterated his government’s commitment to creating 10 lakh government jobs and 10 lakh employment in various sectors. So far, 5.16 lakh government jobs have been already provided and the state government is aiming to give 7 lakh more jobs. Additionally, 24 lakh employment opportunities have been already created, with plans for 10 lakh more.

Nitish Kumar emphasized his government’s inclusive approach, stating that efforts have been made to benefit all sections of society. This includes the establishment of residential schools for SC and ST students and the construction of fences around graveyards and temples in Bihar. He stressed that the state government is working diligently for the welfare of every community in Bihar.

EOM.