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Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed displeasure over the functioning of NITI Aayog, saying that there should not be a single basis for measuring all the states of the country.
In response to the question asked about the report of NITI Aayog on the health system of Bihar, the Chief Minister said that the Bihar government will send its reply on this report that it is not suitable. It is not right to issue a report without looking into the works done in Bihar.
He said, ‘I do not know how and through whom NITI Aayog gets its work done. If we get a chance to go to the next meeting of NITI Aayog, we will again put one thing in front of them. The basics should be known before making the assessment. It is not right to tell all the states the same.
The Chief Minister said that there should not be a single basis for measuring all the states of the country. Those which are developed states and those which are backward should be seen separately. This will help in bringing backward states forward. He said that Bihar is at number three in the country in terms of population, after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, but at 12th place in terms of area. Bihar has the highest population per square kilometer in the country, these circumstances of Bihar also have to be kept in mind.
The Chief Minister said that many medical colleges and hospitals have been established in Bihar. Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences is working very well. The Bihar government arranged land for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Patna so that the work could start there as soon as possible. AIIMS in Patna is also running properly. The number of beds in hospitals has also been increased significantly. He said that whether NITI Aayog is not aware that Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) is being converted into a 5,400-bed hospital and work has been started.
CM said that it will become the biggest hospital in the country. It has been decided that this work will be completed within four years. He said that his wish is that it should be completed in less time and efforts are being made for that.
He said that whatever work is being done in the field of health in Bihar, its report has always been sent to NITI Aayog. Everyone knows what was the condition of Bihar earlier in the field of health. Earlier we had read a report about Bihar that poor families of Bihar have to spend more on treatment than food. Earlier Bihar lacked basic facilities in the field of health. Very few people used to go to the government hospitals of Bihar for treatment. At that time, dogs used to sit instead of patients on beds in hospitals. Earlier, an average of 39 people were treated in a month in primary health centres.
The Chief Minister said that when he got an opportunity to work, work was started rapidly in the health sector. His government provided free arrangements for doctors as well as medicines in primary health centers and hospitals. Due to this, now an average of 10 thousand patients are treated in a month in PHC. He said that not only this, now people can get their treatment sitting at home by using new technology.
If the CM said that the NITI Aayog is treating the whole country as one type, then it is a strange thing. Bihar cannot be compared with Maharashtra today. The richest state cannot be compared with the poorest state. He said that if the backward and developed states of the country are assessed by keeping them in one category, then backward states will not get a chance to move forward.
