JAIPUR: The health of citizens is important for the development of the country and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken steps to link the two, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said here on Thursday.
Earlier, health was not linked with development.
Linking health with development was started by Modi as chief minister of Gujarat, the minister said at the virtual foundation stone laying ceremony of four new medical colleges in Rajasthan.
He said the changes taking place in the health sector are meant to take the country forward.
"It is a very big thing to link health with development, this is the foresightedness of Prime Minister Modi," the Union minister said.
"Unless the citizens of the country are healthy, society cannot be healthy and when society is not healthy then the nation cannot be healthy. Twenty years ago in Gujarat, the Ma Amrutam Yojana was started with the view and its results are being seen by citizens of the country," he said.
Mandaviya also said that more than 40 Petrochemical Technology Institutes (CIPET) across the country are self-sufficient, earning their own income and providing education to one lakh students every year with 95 per cent job placement.
Prime Minister Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of four new medical colleges in Banswara, Sirohi, Hanumangarh and Dausa districts of Rajasthan through video conference.
Modi also inaugurated the Institute of Petrochemical Technology in Jaipur through video conferencing.
Addressing reporters after the programme, Mandaviya said the work on 17 medical colleges in Rajasthan has already started, while the foundation stone for the four medical colleges was laid on Thursday.
Overall, there will be availability of 2,600 seats and the students of Rajasthan will get the benefit of these seats, the minister said.
He said the Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research (PCPR) unit is being built in Rajasthan for which construction work is going on.
In such a situation, the required skill manpower and highly educated manpower will be available from this Petrochemicals Technology Institute.
Replying to a question on availability of Covid vaccine for children, Mandaviya said the research work of Bharat Biotech, and Zydus Cadila is in the third phase of clinical trials, following which vaccine will be available.
On increasing number of Covid cases in Kerala and Maharashtra, the Union minister said he personally visited Kerala, where cases are increasing, and a team of experts was also sent there from Delhi, where a detailed discussion with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and health officials took place.
As of Thursday, Covid cases are still under control there, he added.
The Union minister said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asked for three more medical colleges in the state after which all 33 districts will have one medical college.
He said that it is the Centre's endeavour to have a medical college in every district and in the coming days they will move in that direction too.