New Delhi: The government is working on setting up of 157 Medical Colleges mainly in the aspirational districts of the country to ensure that people here are provided superior health services, Dr Harsh Vardhan recently informed the media persons, while adding that numbers of AIIMS have now increased to 21 .

Information to this effect was given by the minister while launching 11 OPD services at AIIMS Bhatinda, yesterday

As many as 11 OPD services were made operational by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, at AIIMS Bhatinda, in the august presence of Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries.

While inaugurating the OPD services, Dr Harsh Vardhan stated that AIIMS Bhatinda will be fully functional by June, 2020 and PGI Chandigarh is the mentor institute supporting it. First Batch of 50 MBBS Students of AIIMS Bathinda has been started from the academic year 2019-20 in Baba Faridkot University. The Cabinet approved the proposal for establishment of AIIMS at Bathinda in Punjab at a cost of Rs 925 crores on 27.07.2016.

OPD Services that were operationalized for AIIMS Bathinda include General Medicine, Gynae & Obs; General Surgery including consultation in surgical oncology, urology & pediatric surgery, Orthopedic, ENT, Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Dental, Basic Radiology (X-Ray, Ultrasound and colour Doppler), Basic Biochemistry & Hematological tests; and medicines at discounted rates through AMRIT pharmacy. Dr Harsh Vardhan also announced that the satellite centre for PGI Chandigarh will come up at Firozpur at a cost of Rs. 450 cr, and this shall be operational by 2022.

Dr Harsh Vardhan added that upgradation of 75 district hospitals to Government Medical Colleges/Institutes envisaging to improve tertiary health infrastructure through construction of Super Speciality blocks / Trauma Centres etc., have been taken up and is rapidly progressing. The Union Health Minister also stated that with Ayushman Bharat, while on the one hand comprehensive primary healthcare is being provided through the 1.5 lakh Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs), PMJAY has already benefitted nearly 70 lakh people who are the most needy and vulnerable, while 11.66 cr beneficiaries have been provided the e-cards. He also highlighted the efforts being made by the government through Fit India movement and Eat Right India campaign. “To meet global targets of universal health coverage, we have expanded the basket of vaccines; now immunisation against 12 vaccine preventable diseases is available under UIP”, he stated.

Sh. Om Prakash Soni, Minister for Medical Education & Research, Govt. of Punjab; Sh. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Member of Parliament; Sh Shwait Malik, Member of Parliament; Sh Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Member of Parliament along with the officials of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India and PGIMER, Chandigarh were also present during the inauguration ceremony.

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