Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on Friday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur and Union Minister for Health Mansukh Mandaviya flagged off 15 mobile medical units for Himachal Pradesh.
All medical units are equipped with modern gadgets and will provide free treatment and medicines in villages, Thakur said.
Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated Anurag Thakur, who is a Member of Parliament from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur, for taking care of the health needs of the poor in the state.
"I want to congratulate Anurag Thakur. Under Prime Minister Modi, the country is changing. When there was a discussion in parliament, many MPs started speaking about the health budget that it was doubled by clubbing other segments. But that wasn't true. What PM Modi did was integrated health and development," Mandavia said.
"There was Obama care in the USA, the whole world was praising it. We are giving Rs 5 lakh health security to 10 crore families. More than 2 crore people have taken benefit of Ayushman Bharat," he said.
The minister said the scheme is a big help to the poor who felt vulnerable if they fell sick.
Mandaviya listed the health benefits of government schemes for the poor living in the mountainous regions.
Around 17 mobile units, operated by an NGO, are already being used in Thakur's constituency and have helped about 6 lakh people. Tests like KFT, creatinine, LFT, lipid profile, uric acid, sugar, Hepatitis B and C are conducted through these units free of cost.
"With the addition of these 15 units, there would be 32 such mobile medical vans to cater to medical needs of people in and around the constituency. Also, these units also aid the health set up in testing tourists for COVID and render assistance," he added.
Thakur said Ayushma Yojana started by the Prime Minister has been a big help to the poor in getting medical services.
The minister referred to Made in India vaccines against COVID-19 and said over 75 crore people have been vaccinated.
"When I was Minister of State for Finance, Prime Minister told us that states should be helped financially first to deal with COVID. The health budget was doubled. Tomorrow is his birthday and I thought about doing something special on eve of this occasion," Thakur said.
"We started with three medical vans that tour 17 villages. Wishing Modiji health and long life, we are adding 15 more mobile units to the state," he added.
(ANI)