Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath officially opened the Medanta Super Specialty Hospital in Lucknow on Thursday, marking a significant advancement for the state's medical infrastructure. In an official statement, he described the new facility as an excellent centre for top-tier healthcare.
A Boost for Healthcare and Employment
The Chief Minister emphasized that the hospital is a major asset for the region, providing substantial employment opportunities and attracting significant investment to Uttar Pradesh. He stated that Medanta has established itself as a national brand in delivering high-quality medical services, a reputation built through hard work and excellent efforts.
Adityanath recalled initial skepticism about Medanta's success in Lucknow after its Gurgaon launch, but affirmed that the hospital has proven its worth. "During COVID, the hospital proved very useful for the people of Uttar Pradesh," he said, adding that it fulfilled a long-standing demand for a superior hospital in the region.
Transforming Healthcare Access for the Poor
The CM highlighted the stark contrast in healthcare access from a decade ago, when the poor struggled to afford critical treatments like kidney transplants, cancer therapy, and bypass surgeries. He noted that families were often forced to sell land or mortgage jewellery to cover medical expenses.
This situation has been radically transformed, according to Adityanath, by the central government's schemes. Over the past six to seven years, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Yojana have provided free healthcare services worth ₹5 lakh per year to 50 crore people nationwide. Uttar Pradesh has actively expanded this scheme's scope to include more needy families. Additionally, ₹1,300 crore was disbursed from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund within a year to support the healthcare costs of the poor at empanelled hospitals.
From 'One District, One Mafia' to 'One District, One Medical College'
Adityanath proudly declared that the BJP government has reshaped Uttar Pradesh's identity. "Earlier, UP was known for 'One District, One Mafia' but we have changed the reputation and established Uttar Pradesh as 'One District, One Medical College'," he said.
To accelerate hospital construction, the government amended housing regulations, reducing the required road width for a hospital from 18 meters to 7 meters. This policy shift, along with guaranteed approvals and amenities, has encouraged a surge of new medical facilities in the state. Currently, 10 crore people in Uttar Pradesh are connected to healthcare facilities through Ayushman Bharat and the Chief Minister's Jan Arogya Yojana.
The government is also collaborating with IIT Kanpur to establish a MedTech Centre of Excellence. Adityanath stressed the importance of technology, citing the successful implementation of a virtual ICU on a hub-and-spoke model during the pandemic, now adopted by institutes like SGPGI and Medanta in remote areas.
He concluded with a major public health achievement: the near-eradication of encephalitis in eastern Uttar Pradesh. From 1,200-1,500 annual child deaths between 1977 and 2017, a targeted campaign launched after he took office in 2017 brought the disease under control within two years. Today, the region reports no deaths from encephalitis, a testament to improved medical facilities and proactive government action.
