Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday emphasised the need to move two steps ahead of time and warned that inaction causing harm to institutions and they would not be forgiven by future generations.
He was addressing the foundation day ceremony of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan.
On this occasion, the chief minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 298 crore, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement.
"We must always remain two steps ahead of time's pace. Moving in sync with time ensures progress, but merely drifting along leads to stagnation, leaving no trace of our presence. And if our inaction causes an institution to suffer loss, future generations will never forgive us," Adityanath said.
Adityanath hailed ancient Indian medical pioneers Sushruta and Charak, calling them India's gift to the world.
"If anyone has given the first surgeon to the world, then it was India in the form of Sushruta. We have forgotten Sushruta. You have also mentioned Charak, the father of Ayurveda, in it (annual report). Charak and Sushruta are India's gift. For the health of the people of the world," he said.
Highlighting the state's healthcare preparedness, the chief minister said Uttar Pradesh presented a model of defeating the COVID-19 pandemic by effectively using technology.
He said that RMLIMS is located at the gateway of eastern Uttar Pradesh and every patient from the region comes here first before going to KGMU or SGPGI.
He added that eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal have the highest population density, and this is why RML is the first point of medical contact for many.
The chief minister said the three premier institutions—SGPGI, KGMU and RMLIMS—played a key role in strengthening healthcare and medical education in the state. These institutions set new benchmarks by working under both favourable and adverse conditions.
Recalling the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh initially lacked any testing facilities, and samples had to be sent to AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.
"At that time, 36 districts did not have even a single ICU bed, and there was an acute shortage of trained manpower," he said.
Despite these challenges, the state adopted innovative models such as virtual ICUs. SGPGI, KGMU and RML trained manpower and provided relief in all 75 districts through virtual ICUs. These institutions guided other medical colleges and COVID-19 hospitals with the help of master trainers, he said.
As a result, Uttar Pradesh presented a model to the world of defeating the pandemic through technology, the CM said.
He added that the same approach can now be used to reduce overcrowding in hospitals. Tele-consultation facilities should be expanded to PHCs, CHCs and digital hospitals in remote areas for better patient screening, he said.
Adityanath said that in eastern Uttar Pradesh, more than 50,000 children had died in the past due to encephalitis, but the disease has now been completely controlled through teamwork and awareness.
This transformation under the leadership of the health department proves that when all departments and institutions work together, positive results are achieved, he said.
"The outcome of these reforms is that areas in eastern UP, where earlier there was an atmosphere of fear, now have an atmosphere of enthusiasm and joy," the chief minister said.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and auto-generated from an agency feed.)
