First paperless govt hosp opens

India’s first digital paperless hospital was thrown open to the public when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical and Research in Ellis Bridge on Thursday.

Part of the Ayushman Bharat programme, this hospital will provide free treatment to the poor. Culled from the decades-old VS Hospital, the 18-storeyed state-ofthe-art super-specialty hospital was built at a cost of Rs 750 crore. According to Modi, the 1,500-bed hospital is “the first government hospital with a helipad for the air ambulance”.

Modi lauded Sardar Patel for his contribution to healthcare in the country. “The country knows Patel Saheb as a visionary leader and a messiah for the farmers but along with that, he was very enthusiastic about cleanliness and health. When he was the mayor of Ahmedabad, cleanliness and health were his top priorities.

Today, wherever his soul is, will be greatly satisfied to see his city flourish in this way.”

He added, “Earlier, the poor would hesitate to even enter a big hospital. Now, over 50 crore poor have faith that even for critical illness, the government stands with them, and provide them with medical facilities.”