BJP President J P Nadda.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Patna/Bhagalpur: Union Health Minister J P Nadda inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several healthcare projects in Bihar on Friday.
Nadda inaugurated the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (RIO) on the campus of Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) and also the institute's extended building, constructed at a cost of around Rs 188 crore, in Patna.
According to health department officials, this institute is the biggest eye hospital in Eastern India with a trauma centre facility.
Nadda also laid the foundation stone of several health projects, including health sub-centre (HSC), additional primary health centre (APHC), health and wellness centre (HWC), community health centre etc, worth Rs 850 crore, virtually from the IGIMS.
The union minister who is on a two-day visit of the state from Friday also inaugurated a super-speciality block at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur.
While addressing the gathering at IGIMS (Patna), Nadda said, “The state-of-the-art medical facilities, that are being developed in Bihar, will provide excellent health and high-quality medical facilities to the people of the state. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is a historic expansion of healthcare facilities across the country." The nationwide expansion of healthcare-related infrastructure has eliminated regional imbalances, he said.
“It is a sheer coincidence that in 2019, when I was the health minister, I had laid the final foundation stone of this RIO in the presence of the then CM, Nitish Kumar ji. Today, after becoming the health minister again, I am inaugurating in the presence of the CM," Nadda said.
Whatever achievements witnessed in the health sector in Bihar, they started from 2005, when the NDA government came to power in the state, he said adding that from 2005 to 2024, the development in the health sector in Bihar is remarkable.
Shortly after reaching Patna, Nadda left for 1 Anne Marg, the official residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
In a post on X, Nadda said, “I made a courtesy call on the CM Nitish Kumar and had detailed discussions on various issues related to the development of Bihar. Under the guidance of our respected PM, the NDA government is committed to the all-round development of the holy land of Bihar and the prosperity of its people.”