Mehsana (Gujarat) [India]: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated the newly constructed building of KK Patel and Madhuben K Patel Nursing College in Mehsana district, Gujarat.
Addressing the event, Shah noted the significant legacy of the nursing college in the region:
“This nursing college has been playing an important role in nursing education for the last 65 years.”
He emphasized that the new building, equipped with lecture rooms, laboratories, library, and office facilities, would make medical education more accessible for the region’s youth.
Highlighting the government’s healthcare reforms, Shah praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ayushman Bharat scheme, which aims to provide free healthcare up to ₹5 lakh for the underprivileged:
“With the aim of strengthening the previously weak healthcare system of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the Ayushman Bharat scheme.”
“Every poor citizen in the country now has an Ayushman card, through which they can receive free treatment up to five lakh rupees.”
Shah urged state hospitals to align with the Ayushman Bharat standards, stating that it benefits both citizens and hospital management.
“The government’s effort is to ensure that every poor person has access to proper healthcare services near their home.”
He reflected on India’s healthcare transformation since 2014:
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the country has brought about a radical transformation in the healthcare sector from 2014 to 2025.”
Key statistics shared by Shah include:
- Health budget increased from ₹37,000 crore (2014) to ₹1.37 lakh crore (2025-26)
- AIIMS institutions grew from 7 to 23
- Medical colleges expanded from 387 to 780
- MBBS seats increased from 51,000 to 1.18 lakh
- Postgraduate seats rose from 31,000 to 74,000
Shah also spoke about the impact of schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission, Fit India, Mission Indradhanush, and Jan Aushadhi Yojana, through which citizens received affordable medicines worth ₹25,000 crore in the past decade.
He highlighted infrastructure achievements under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, including the creation of 730 large public health facilities and 3,382 tehsil-level installations.
Regarding the new nursing college, Shah said:
“The nursing college inaugurated today spreads over an area of 3,700 square meters, and nearly all nursing-related courses, including B.Sc. Nursing, have already started at this institution.”
He added that a women’s hostel is under construction, and plans to establish a cancer hospital will soon begin, aiming to benefit the region’s poor.
“It is the responsibility of the society to run the hospital started with donations and make it state-of-the-art,” he concluded.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several dignitaries and community members.