Arogya Maitri scheme will expand health services in remote areas of state: Nadda

The Bhishma Cube Arogya Maitri Yojana will expand healthcare services in remote areas of the country and Himachal Pradesh will be one of its major beneficiaries, said Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda at AIIMS in Bilaspur today.

He said that AIIMS-Bilaspur would soon receive support for extending advanced medical services to remote areas under the scheme. He added that the aim of the initiative was to provide cutting-edge healthcare facilities in rural and hilly regions.

Nadda said that he was committed to making AIIMS-Bilaspur a world-class medical institution. He emphasised the expansion of healthcare schemes and facilities to ensure affordable and advanced medical services for every citizen. He also appreciated the doctors and paramedical staff of AIIMS for their services and assured them that more facilities would be provided at the hospital in future.

He said that over 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras would be opened across the country by 2027 to provide affordable and high-quality medicines to people. He also inspected the Jan Aushadhi Pharmacy located in AIIMS and interacted with the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana. He asked the AIIMS administration to ensure the availability of quality medicines to people.

Nadda inaugurated an Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT)) Pharmacy at AIIMS. He visited the Nuclear Medicine Block at the hospital to review the latest healthcare facilities available there. He said that the Central Government was continuously working to enhance healthcare services at AIIMS-Bilaspur.

He also inaugurated Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography (PET CT) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT CT) scanners installed at a cost of Rs 25 crore. He said that these advanced imaging tools would help in an accurate diagnosis of cancer, neurological disorders and cardiovascular diseases along with an early detection of cancer and heart diseases while the SPECT CT scanner would aid in the detailed examination of bones, kidneys and heart conditions.

Nadda also laid the foundation stone of a virology research and diagnostic laboratory to be set up at a cost of Rs 30 crore, a rest house of 250 rooms for the attendants of patients on the hospital premises to be constructed at a cost of Rs 15 crore and an indoor sports complex to be built at a cost of Rs 4.90 crore.

Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, former Union Minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur, state BJP president Rajeev Bindal, AIIMS Executive Director Prof DN Sharma and MLAs Randhir Sharma, Jitram Katwal and Trilok Jamwal were present on the occasion.