Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said Uttar Pradesh has moved beyond the era when the actions of an individual or a family could push the entire state into an identity, law-and-order and governance crisis. Addressing the sixth foundation day समारोह of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, he said the state is now progressing on the strength of transparency, accountability and institutional integrity.
The Chief Minister said that nearly 9.5 lakh young people have secured government jobs in Uttar Pradesh over the past nine and a half years through transparent recruitment processes. Of the state’s nearly 16 lakh government employees, around 9.5 lakh have been recruited during the tenure of the present government, he said, adding that this young workforce is contributing to the state’s development.
Highlighting the transformation of the Lohia Institute, Yogi said the facility had started with just 20 beds but has now grown into a 1,400-bed super-speciality medical institution. A 1,010-bed new hospital and a 350-bed trauma centre are also proposed.
The Chief Minister inaugurated several new facilities at the institute, including a dedicated organ transplant unit and a 40-bed emergency ward. A 100-patient waiting hall at the Mother and Child Hospital was also inaugurated. He said the transplant unit would help reduce the waiting period for kidney transplants, while a bone marrow transplant facility is expected to become operational soon.
Yogi said the institute is expanding into advanced areas such as robotic surgery, Gamma Knife treatment, AI-based diagnostics, advanced imaging, telemedicine and digital healthcare. Virtual ICUs are already functioning in 10 districts of the state.
He said financial assistance is no longer the biggest obstacle for patients requiring major treatment. Free dialysis facilities are now available at all 75 district hospitals, with 10 beds dedicated to dialysis at each facility. Treatment support is also being provided through Ayushman Bharat, the Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya cashless medical treatment and the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. According to Yogi, reducing waiting lists for kidney transplants and other critical procedures is now a major challenge.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the expansion of medical education in Uttar Pradesh. He said the number of medical colleges, including government and private institutions, has risen from 41 before 2017 to 85, with two AIIMS also operational. MBBS seats have increased from 4,690 to more than 13,600, while postgraduate seats have risen from 3,564 to 5,067. The number of nursing colleges has increased from two to 26, with 33 more under construction.
Calling for greater research and innovation, Yogi urged medical institutions to preserve and study their own patient data. He said Indian institutions should develop healthcare solutions suited to Indian conditions rather than allowing valuable medical data to be used primarily for research elsewhere. He cited the MedTech Centre of Excellence with IIT Kanpur, centres of excellence at SGPGI, and the development of medical device and pharma parks as initiatives in this direction.
Drawing a comparison between the development of medical technology in earlier decades and during the Covid-19 pandemic, Yogi said Japan had developed an encephalitis vaccine in 1905, but it took nearly a century for the technology to reach India. During Covid-19, Indian scientists developed two vaccines in about nine months, he said, adding that India provided vaccines free of cost to its citizens and supplied them to around 100 friendly countries.
He stressed that healthcare institutions must stay ahead of changing disease patterns and integrate healing, learning and discovery. Only institutions that combine patient care, education and research, he said, can evolve into genuine centres of excellence.
The Chief Minister also distributed appointment letters to newly recruited personnel following the completion of recruitment for 194 posts at the institute. Among those receiving appointment letters were Technical Officer Perfusion Anuj Kumar Shukla, Dieticians Mamta Tiwari and Sawan Kumar, along with other newly appointed staff.
Faculty and nursing personnel for outstanding contributions were also honoured. Dr Vikram Singh, CMS and Head of the Department of General Medicine, received the Director’s Excellence Award. Dr Alok Srivastava, Dr Ajay Kumar Verma and other faculty members received the Director’s Award of Merit. Uma Pandey was presented the Director’s Merit Award in nursing, while Chief Nursing Officer Suman Singh received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Yogi also released the institute’s annual progress report and two books — Sahi Jankari Sahi Dekhbhal by Dr Ajay Kumar Verma and Critical Care Falls by Dr SS Nath.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak criticised the previous Samajwadi Party government, alleging that contracts for construction, laundry, canteens and other institutional services were distributed among influential people and their associates. He said the present government had brought greater transparency to public institutions and expanded healthcare infrastructure across the state.
Pathak said the number of doctors being trained annually has increased from around 5,000 to more than 12,500, while postgraduate medical seats have also expanded significantly. He said the government is working towards the goal of providing a medical college in every district and is promoting medical tourism.
Minister of State for Medical Education and Health Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh recalled the institute’s modest beginnings as a 20-bed facility and said its transformation into a 1,400-bed institution reflected the rapid expansion of healthcare infrastructure under the Yogi government.
Additional Chief Secretary Amit Kumar Ghosh and other senior officials attended the समारोह. Institute Director Dr CM Singh welcomed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by presenting him with a Rudraksha sapling.
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