Lucknow, Oct 22 (Representative) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that the long-overdue Advanced Paediatric Centre is taking shape in the state today due to the efforts of the double-engine government. Addressing the inauguration and foundation stone-laying program of various projects of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), emphasising his close first-hand experience of the health issues affecting children in the state, the CM mentioned that during his time as an MP, he raised this issue both in Parliament and through protests. “Under the leadership of PM Modi, the state is making continuous progress in healthcare. Before 2017, there were medical colleges in only 18 districts, but now there are medical colleges in 64 districts. The state is quickly moving towards the goal of having one district, one college.”Yogi said that the number of MBBS and PG seats has more than doubled in the recent past. He also highlighted the success in addressing the issue of Japanese encephalitis, noting that this is a significant achievement, especially since it primarily affected children. The CM inaugurated several healthcare facilities at SGPGIMS, including the Advanced Diabetes Centre, Tele ICU, Saloni Heart Centre (Phase 1), and a hostel for the College of Medical Technology, with a total investment of Rs 1,147 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for the Advanced Paediatric Centre, Saloni Heart Centre (Phase 2), and Rain Basera. He said that SGPGI is one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country and the state, emphasising the importance of ensuring that seriously ill patients from various regions, like eastern, western, central, Bundelkhand, and Vindhya, can access beds there, despite existing challenges. “The state government is actively working to resolve these issues,” he said.
Yogi said, “The Advanced Paediatric Centre will have 575 beds and offer services from 22 departments, providing treatments for hormonal issues, diabetes, paediatric ICU care, emergency paediatric genetics, paediatric neurology, and more, all under one roof.” He said that the first phase of the Saloni Heart Centre has started and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the second phase has been signed. “This centre, equipped with world-class facilities, aims to perform serious heart surgeries on 5,000 children annually and will offer second opinions to another 10,000 children each year,” he said. The CM announced the start of construction of a 1,000-bed night shelter funded by Rs 51 crore from ONGC’s CSR initiative, which will significantly benefit attendants visiting the hospital. “The shelter will also feature parking and canteen facilities, offering meals for just Rs 15 to Rs 20. The hostel for 200 students at the College of Medical Technology has also been completed,” he said. He congratulated SGPGI on these initiatives and assured that the state government would provide all necessary support to ensure timely progress. Key officials present at the inauguration included Deputy CM Brijesh Pathak, Minister of State Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, and other dignitaries.