Stressing on the need to strengthen social security system in the country, BJP president Rajnath Singh on Thursday said he will ensure medical insurance for all if his party is voted to power.
“Health services are becoming costlier and people living in villages and huts can’t afford it due to which a poor man dies at an early age of 40 to 50. If we come to power, we will ensure that health insurance is provided to all people, even those living in villages and huts,” he said while inaugurating the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Medical College here.
He said even after 66 years of Independence, we have failed to guarantee quality education, quality health care and economic stability to the masses, which is matter of concern.
“If we can’t ensure these, then we can’t call ourselves a welfare state. I will ensure that if our party comes to power then it is provided to all,” he said.
The BJP president said we pat ourselves if our Gross Domestic Product increases, which is taken as a sign of healthy economy, but the question is does its benefit reach to the poor?
“When our growth rate increases we pat our backs in front of the world, but the question is what is the relevance of this GDP growth which has failed to provide, education, health care and economic stability to the people. If Human Development Index increases with the GDP then its growth is relevant,” Singh said.
He cautioned that there was huge disparity in income and which may lead to civil unrest.
“The rate with which the income disparity is increasing, it is a matter of concern. Increasing income disparity is a threat to the country’s unity. We will have to accept that if the benefit of development doesn’t reach to everyone equally, then we can’t rule out the possibility civil unrest,” Singh told a gathering of NDMC councillors.
After Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Delhi will be the third city in the country that will have a medical college owned by its municipal corporation.
Owned by NDMC, Hindu Rao Hospital has become Delhi’s first municipality-run medical college. The first batch of 50 medical students have taken admission.
The idea was conceived by former Municipal Commissioner, K S Mehra and Mayor and within seven months, between November last year to July this year, it has become functional.
The Hindu Rao Medical College, which would be named as Atal Bihari Vajpayee NDMC Medical College, has already received the formal go ahead from the Medical Council of India and affiliation from IP University.
All the infrastructure-related works like laboratories, library, classrooms and even the recruitment of the faculty have already been done, NDMC Commissioner P K Gupta said.
Delhi offers around 600 undergraduate and postgraduate seats in all through various medical colleges in the city. With another 50 seats offered by the Hindu Rao Medical College, it will ensure a bigger platform for medical aspirants.
Hindu Rao Hospital already offers diploma courses in nursing and anaesthesia.
——-PTI