Gandhinagar: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth ₹329 crore in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on October 4, 2024. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other dignitaries were also present during the event.

In his address, Amit Shah announced that the Gujarat government is constructing a 425-bed hospital in Mansa with an investment of ₹244 crore, which will meet the healthcare needs of the region for the next 25 years. He added that 10 development projects under the Mansa Municipality were being inaugurated and their foundation stones laid, alongside other development initiatives in the area.

Amit Shah also highlighted the construction of Chandrasar Lake in Mansa, where water from the Narmada River is being supplied. He noted that 16 lakes in the state, including Chandradu, Malan, and Malai, are being connected, and the supply of Narmada water to these lakes has been completed this monsoon. This effort will improve water levels, enhancing agricultural productivity and bringing prosperity to the farmers.

The foundation-laying projects include a civil hospital, beautification of Malan Lake, work on Sasni and Malan lakes, construction of a community hall in Ranyapur, the double-laning of the Pilvai-Mahudi road, and the establishment of a dry waste segregation plant. The new hospital will house all necessary facilities such as a critical care trauma centre, orthopaedics, paediatrics, gynaecology, physiotherapy, dialysis, and advanced imaging services like CT scans and MRIs.

During the event, Amit Shah mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to introduce medical education in local languages. He highlighted that medical courses in Hindi have already commenced in Madhya Pradesh, where more than 40 medical colleges are now offering medical education in Hindi. In Gujarat, medical education will soon be available in Gujarati, with Mansa Medical College leading the way. This will allow children from the region to pursue medical studies in their own language and eventually become doctors.

Amit Shah also praised the recent efforts of Delhi Police, which seized drugs worth ₹5,600 crore and dismantled an international drug syndicate. He noted that since the launch of the "Drug-Free India" campaign by Prime Minister Modi in 2014, significant results have been achieved. From 2004 to 2014, drugs worth ₹768 crore, weighing 1,52,000 kg, were seized, while during the Modi government's tenure from 2014 to 2024, drugs worth ₹27,600 crore, weighing 5,43,600 kg, have been confiscated.

The Union Home Minister highlighted that before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, the drug trade was expanding rapidly across North India, including in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. Since then, the Modi-led government has taken substantial steps to curb this menace, with Gujarat alone seizing drugs worth ₹8,500 crore in the past three years.

He also reflected on the changes made in the healthcare sector over the last decade under Prime Minister Modi's leadership. Shah mentioned that Modi has promoted a holistic approach to health, focusing on cleanliness, building household toilets, providing clean drinking water, and encouraging yoga. Through initiatives such as "Khelo India," efforts have been made to strengthen children, youth, and adolescents, while millions have benefitted from the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which offers free medical treatment of up to ₹5 lakh. In Gujarat, the scheme covers up to ₹10 lakh, with senior citizens over 70 years old receiving up to ₹15 lakh in healthcare coverage.

Shah added that Prime Minister Modi's goal is to double the number of medical seats in the next five years, increasing capacity by 75,000 seats. 

BI Bureau