Digitisation of health services for quick medical treatment underway, says PM

Guwahati, April 28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that digitisation of the health services is underway in India to provide best, quick and trouble-free medical treatment and various health services to the people.

Addressing a big rally in Assam's Dibrugarh, Modi said that 16 new AIIMS and one medical college in each district of the country will be set up to provide the best medical treatment to the people.

"Policy has been changed so that students can be taught in the medical colleges in their local languages and mother tongue," Modi said after inaugurating the Dibrugarh Cancer Centre at the Assam Medical College and Hospital.

From Dibrugarh, the Prime Minister virtually inaugurated seven cancer hospitals and laid the foundation stone for seven more across Assam.

The seven cancer hospitals that were inaugurated by the Prime Minister are in Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Tezpur, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Kokrajhar and Darrang while foundation stones were laid at Dhubri, Goalpara, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Nalbari, Nagaon and Tinsukia districts.

Cancer is a major problem in the northeastern region, Modi said adding that with the setting up of seven more cancer hospitals and laying of the foundation stones of seven more such hospitals, the patients would get the best treatment in their district itself.

Modi said that with the government's efforts, over 900 medicines are now available at a very cheap rate. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that with the opening and laying of foundation stones of these cancer hospitals with world call facilities and services, not only the people of Assam and other northeastern states would be benefited, but the people of the South-East Asian countries would also be benefited.

Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata, central minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta among others also spoke to the gathering. Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi, central Minister Rameshwar Teli and former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi among others were also present at the event. Tata Trust has contributed a lot to set up these cancer hospitals in Assam.

Earlier in the day, addressing the first public rally at Loringthepi in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, the Prime Minister said that with the restoration of peace, resolving the insurgency problems and ethnic issues, development has accelerated in the northeastern region of India.

"With the decline of violent activities by 75 per cent over the years, the AFSPA (Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958) has recently been withdrawn from large parts of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur," Modi said.