Chandigarh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that to take India forward, it is equally important to develop the health services in the country.

Prime Minister was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 300-bed Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital

The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 300-bed Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Mullanpur in Punjab’s Mohali district.

With Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Congress MP Manish Tewari and his cabinet colleague Jitendra Singh sharing the dais, Modi, who was given a rousing reception by party workers and supporters amid slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Modi, Modi”, said, “When the people of India will get modern hospitals and facilities for treatment, then they will get well sooner and their energy will be channelled in the right direction.”

“Our government is working on six fronts — promotion of preventive healthcare, opening small and modern hospitals in villages, opening medical colleges and big medical research institutes in cities to increase the number of doctors and paramedical staff across the country, to provide cheap medicines, cheap medical equipment to the patients and use of technology to reduce the difficulties faced by patients.”

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister inaugurated the state-of-the-art 2,600 bed Amrita hospital in Faridabad in Haryana that will be managed by Mata Amritanandamayi Math — a charitable organisation spearheaded by its namesake Mata Amritanandamayi.

Saying that he understands the problems of the cancer patients, Modi said earlier the patients travelled long distances for treatment in specialty hospitals.

“Since the inception of Bilaspur AIIMS and Homi Bhabha Cancer Institute, this problem has been addressed and we are working towards reaching every corner of India to provide cancer treatment.”

He said the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre would help in providing improved healthcare services to people in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

This state-of-the-art facility at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh has been built by the Central government at an outlay of over Rs 660 crore.