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Bengal

Bengal is number one in terms of healthcare: CM

Kolkata: Criticising some of the BJP-run states for the recent incidents that brought the poor health services to light, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that Bengal is number one in the country in providing health services.
Banerjee was speaking at a programme from where she inaugurated a series of health facilities including a Mother and Child Hub in Jalpaiguri, a Blood Bank at Nayagram Multi/Super-speciality Hospital and GNM Training School at five different hospitals.
It is important to mention that number of seats increased at the GNM training schools in medical colleges and district hospitals including in Bankura, Cooch Behar, Howrah, Nadia, Barasat and Tamluk.
Without naming the Uttar Pradesh government for not supplying oxygen to children admitted in hospital, she said: "If children die due to lack of oxygen, don't you think it's a crime? A government must have a comprehensive plan to ensure better health services to people." In this connection she further said: "More than 400 people died because of swine flu in the past four to five months in Gujarat."
She maintained: "One may say that charity begins at home when these issues are raised. I would like to say in this connection that a series of steps were taken to provide better health services to the people of Bengal. During the erstwhile government, the rate of institutional delivery in the state was 63 percent and now it has gone up to 93 percent. At the same time, 16 mother and child hubs have been set up and there are special arrangements for treatment of children."
She maintained that free treatment in provided to people in state-run hospitals. In addition to that, 200 fair price shops have been set up across the state.
She further said that out of 9.10 crore people, around 55.5 lakh people have been brought under the Sasthya Sathi scheme. The scheme provides health insurance to the people who are brought under it.
She said that the socio-economic parameter of a place is an important indicator that shows the condition of the residents living in it. So the state government always tries to ensure proper health services, education, food and shelter to its citizen.
The Chief Minister further said that people from Bangladesh, Bihar, Odisha and even from North-East come for treatment in the state-run hospitals, adding: "Pollution and tension-free environment is needed for people to be healthy. So we need an environment-friendly country."
She also mentioned that the state government has paid Rs 1.79 lakh crore of the debt that was left behind by the erstwhile Left Front government and yet has been able to ensure better healthcare facilities in Bengal.

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