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Akhilesh vows to provide cheap medication across UP

March 28, 2012 19:08 IST

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday made a commitment to provide cheap treatment even for the most dreaded of diseases in all government hospitals of the state.

He was addressing at a special rally organised by the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences to mark the 'World Kidney Day' at the K D Singh Babu Sports Stadium in Lucknow.

Citing the example of the Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research that was started by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav during his own chief ministerial stint in their native village Saifai under Etawah district, the chief minister said, "The best of treatment is being provided there for a fee of just Rs 35; and my endeavour would be to replicate that system in other parts of the state as well."

He said, "When the institute was set in Saifai, there was a lot of criticism from various quarters; but today it is catering to the needs of people living in a vast area around Etawah including parts of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh."

The Saifai institute was linked with SGPGIMS for all academic and research purposes to enable the medical personnel there to avail of the best of treatments at the  SGPGIMS via tele-medicine too.

Laying emphasis on reaching secondary and tertiary care to remote areas across the state, he said, "Efforts made by the previous Samajwadi Party government to ensure specialised treatment for all kinds of diseases in every corner of the state were stalled by the Mayawati government; hence we need to revive that and undertake the setting up of new medical colleges in areas where such facilities are lacking."

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow