Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the largest hospital run by any Urban Local Body (ULB) which has more than 1,500 beds. It is to be noted that very few ULBs provide health and medical facilities across the nation. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation conceptualised the hospital in 2012 and its groundbreaking was done in 2014. The entire structure, with interiors, was ready by July 2018. Narendra Modi, after inaugurating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Science and Research, addressed the gathering. "I was amazed to see a public hospital of this scale. It is like a dream fulfilled to have a hospital like this. This is first public hospital to have helipad and air ambulance facility," said Modi. He congratulated all those who were part of the mammoth project and that the hospital will take public healthcare to new heights. "This will set an example for public health care which will cater to the needs of the common people. Just two decades ago, government hospitals were lying in shambles and the poor couldn't afford medical facilities at private institutions," he added. Clearing the air regarding the privatisation of the hospital, Modi said that poor people will continue to get free medical treatment at the hospital. "The hospital will provide free treatment to the poor, who are entitled to the Ayushyaman Bharat Scheme. Since its launch, more than 7 lakh people have benefited from the scheme in 100 days," he further said. About the government's vision for improvement of public healthcare, he said, "We have set up dialysis centres in 450 districts across the country and patients suffering from kidney issues are getting dialysis services free of cost. We have reduced the price of stents and surgical instruments for knee implants which have benefited so many people," remarked Modi. He also mentioned that the government is aiming to upgrade around 1.5 lakh public health centres and community health centres by 2022.

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