Page 28 - NIS English 2021 November 16-31

Nation Development of Uttar Pradesh

DOUBLE DOSE OF 'UDAAN' AND

'HEALTH' FOR UTTAR PRADESH

Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest state in term of population, has always been on top of
the priorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since he came to power in 2014, he has put
special emphasis on Uttar Pradesh by launching several ambitious projects. As part of these
initiatives, Prime Minister Modi handed over a new ‘runway’ of development to Uttar Pradesh
when he inaugurated an international airport from Kushinagar, which is an important part
of the Buddhist tourism circuit, on October 20. Five days later, he visited the state again to
launch the revolutionary Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission worth ₹64,000
crores from Varanasi to strengthen the health infrastructure of the entire country while
inaugurating nine medical colleges from Siddharthnagar.

etter health services and modern infrastructure
are the key elements for the development of any The country is going to get many more
Bcountry. It speaks volumes about the Central doctors in the next 10-12 years than
Government’s commitment towards the common people the number of doctors in the country
that the initiatives to change the profile of the health and in 70 years after independence.
infrastructure sector did not stop even in the midst of a The speed with which new medical
pandemic like Covid. Rather, it moved on at a much faster colleges are being opened in UP will
pace. Whether it is to script a new record of development have a positive impact on the number
in the country's infrastructure with the GatiShakti National
Master Plan of ₹107 lakh crore or to bring about a paradigm of medical seats and doctors. Due to
shift in the entire health infrastructure with a budget the increase in the number of seats,
increase of 137 percent! Prime Minister Narendra Modi now the child of poor parents will
says, “There was a time when, after independence, there also be able to dream of becoming a
used to be about 90,000 seats in the medical colleges of doctor and fulfill it.
the country till 2014. In the last seven years alone, we have
added more than 60,000 new seats. I wish there should be --- Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
a medical college in every district of the country."

26 New India Samachar November 16-30, 2021