New Delhi:
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday praised Delhi's improved healthcare facilities saying people from across the country come to the national capital for medical treatment. Kejriwal, however, expressed concerns over the pressure on the hospitals in the national capital and called for improving healthcare across the country.
Kejriwal gave the example of patients from Bihar availing the facilities in Delhi hospitals free of cost.
Speaking at the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri area, the chief minister said, "One person from Bihar buys a ticket to Delhi for Rs 500, returns after availing treatment worth Rs 5 lakh. While this makes us happy that these are the people of our country, Delhi has its own capacity. How can Delhi serve the people of the entire country, so there is a need for improving the healthcare facilities across the nation."
#WATCH Delhi CM: One person from Bihar buys a ticket to Delhi for Rs 500, returns after availing free treatment worth Rs 5 lakhs. While it makes us happy as they are people of our own country, but Delhi has its own capacity. How can Delhi serve people of entire country? (29.09) pic.twitter.com/qW1hvryPnK
— ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2019
Kejiwal laid the foundation stone of a new 362-bed trauma centre at the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital on Sunday. The trauma centre will have ICU and emergency beds, and six operation theatres and is expected to be ready in 18 months.
"We have saved Rs 290 crore in just one project (the trauma centre). If I use this money to make medicines, treatment and tests free for the people of Delhi, is it wrong? The Opposition claims we are wasting money by providing free healthcare to people," he said in a tweet.
Asserting that the Delhi's healthcare model is being built upon that of the Denmark, Kejriwal said, "There has been a massive expansion in the health infrastructure in Delhi in various levels."
"The dispensaries in Delhi were in adverse conditions, and people had to rush and crowd the big hospitals for simple medical conditions, which is why the Delhi government has constructed 200 'Mohalla' clinics and construction 200 more clinics will be completed in another 10-15 days. Construction of 300 additional Mohalla clinics is being carried out and will be completed by December," he added.
(With Agency Inputs)
