Dr Vardhan inaugurates Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on August 16, 2019, inaugurated  Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here. Dr Vardhan mentioned that Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) has 100 MBBS seats this year.

“It will be a state-of-the-art medical college with reputed faculties and world class infrastructure. Super Specialty Block has more than 550 beds and the New Resident Doctors’ Hostel has 827 bed units,” he elaborated.

“Our responsibility doesn’t end by naming the Institute after Atal ji. We have to follow his footsteps and our commitment should reflect his inherent nature and legacy,” Dr Vardhan said. Addressing the participants, Dr Vardhan said that PM Narendra Modi is determined to achieve New India by 2022.

He also laid the foundation stone for the Super Speciality Block and new doctors’ hostel at the Institute in the presence of Ashwini Kumar Choubey, MoS (HFW), Anil Baijal, Lieutenant Governor, GNCT, Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament, New Delhi, and Shiv Kumar ji, long time associate and companion of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Remembering fondly former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his first death anniversary, Dr Vardhan stated that he was one of those rare leaders who was loved by every section of the society and had the admiration and respect even of his opponents. He further added that it was Atalji who recognised the need for major augmentation in the tertiary healthcare facilities in the country as early as 2003.

“Launching the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), a flagship scheme of the Government, Vajpayee ji had announced setting up of six new AIIMS under the scheme in the year 2003,” he added.  He further said that there has been a visible change in the tertiary healthcare since then in the country and assured that the Government is committed to take it even further.

Citing the examples of Polio and maternal health, the Union Health Minister said that it was Atal ji, who with his pragmatic and visionary approach envisaged the National Health Policy 2002 and launched it with the objective of achieving an acceptable standard of good health of Indian population by decentralising public health system. “Upgrading infrastructure in existing institutions, ensuring a more equitable access to health service across the social and geographical expanse of India was one of its focus,” he said.

“Atal ji took HIV/AIDS head on by establishing State AIDS Control Societies. During his regime Anti-Retroviral Therapy was started,” he mentioned.