JP Nadda and Nitish Kumar inaugurated an eye hospital in IGIMS.

JP Nadda and Nitish Kumar inaugurated an eye hospital in IGIMS.

Patna, September 6: JP Nadda, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, jointly inaugurated a super-specialty ophthalmology department in Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) Patna on Friday.

The new super-specialty ophthalmology center is equipped with 11 modular operation theaters equipped with advanced technology similar to AIIMS Delhi. It was constructed at a cost of Rs 188 crore.

The center aims to enhance both patient care and medical education, allowing students to observe live surgeries remotely without entering the operation theaters.

“IGIMS has already achieved a milestone of 1000 corneal surgeries, positioning it as a premier medical institute in Eastern India. The facility is expected to serve not only Bihar but also neighboring states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha,” Nadda said.

During the event, JP Nadda shared his vision for India’s healthcare system, recalling his initial experiences as Union Minister in 2014.

“During my international visits, I often wondered if India could ever achieve universal health coverage like developed countries. Today, I am proud to say that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India is Number 1 in providing universal health coverage to 55 crore people through the Ayushman Bharat Yojana,” He said. 

JP Nadda highlighted that each beneficiary receives up to Rs 5 lakh in coverage, with the scheme particularly benefiting the poorest in society.

He also said that the central government is constructing 75 super-specialty hospitals across the country, alone in Bihar, including facilities in Bhagalpur, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Patna.

“I want to urge the media persons to compare the facilities of PMCH and IGIMS from 1983 to 2005 with those from 2005 to 2024,” Nadda said.

During his address, JP Nadda also mentioned his plans to visit the proposed site for AIIMS in Darbhanga on Saturday.

“I am thankful to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for providing the land at Sobhan bypass road for the AIIMS project. Despite being a low-lying area, I must acknowledge that the Bihar government for filling the site with clay to make it suitable for construction. I assure the people that the central government under the guidance of PM Modi, is committed to building a grand AIIMS in Darbhanga as soon as possible,” Nadda said.

He also said that an agency has already been hired to survey the site, and construction will commence soon.

JP Nadda praised Nitish Kumar for the expansion of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), which will become the second-largest hospital in the world with 5462 beds. 

Besides the eye facility in IGIMS, JP Nadda also inaugurated two super-specialty hospitals in Bhagalpur and Gaya on Friday.  

Also Read: JP Nadda arrived in Patna to inaugurate five new health facilities.

In an address, Nitish Kumar criticized the previous RJD and Congress governments, claiming that Bihar’s development has primarily occurred under the NDA government.

He reaffirmed his long-standing alliance with BJP, dating back to 1995, and assured that he would not re-join the opposition alliance (INDIA Bloc), committing to continue working within the NDA for the betterment of Bihar.

“I had left the NDA twice in the past and it was my mistake. I will not make the same mistake in the future. I assure the people of Bihar that I would remain with the NDA and continue working for the welfare of the state,” Kumar said.

EOM.