'Scarcity' Of Ventilators, Medical Facilities In Country; Need For Upgradation: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

Saying there was a “scarcity” of ventilators and medical facilities in the country , Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Saturday said which the country needs “minimum 600 medical colleges, 50 AIIMS-like institutions and 200 super-specialty hospitals” to revamp its health infrastructure.

The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari was speaking at the felicitation function of COVID-19 warriors in Karad city of Maharashtra's Satara district.

"Once during a discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I told him about the scarcity of ventilators. He asked me how many ventilators were there in the country, to which I replied there must be around 2.5 lakh. But he told me that there were only 13,000 ventilators when the coronavirus pandemic broke out in the country," Gadkari said.

“There was lack of oxygen, beds, and other medical facilities at that time. But doctors, paramedical, nurses helped a lot in those times”, he said.

He appreciated the work of medicos including doctors, nurses and paramedics during Covid-19.

Apart from the government-run hospitals, the contribution of medical facilities set up by the cooperative and private sectors was commendable, the minister said.

"The public-private investment model in the road and infrastructure development sector can be replicated in health care and education sectors. The country needs a minimum of 600 medical colleges, 50 AIIMS-like institutions and 200 super-specialty hospitals. The government is also thinking of providing help to those social organisations that work in medical and education sectors," Gadkari said.

He also stressed the need to have at least one veterinary hospital in every tehsil. (With PTI inputs)