Upgrade research, treatment, diagnostic capabilities: UP CM Yogi Adityanath to medical experts

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked medical experts on Sunday to stay "ten steps ahead" of changing disease patterns and continuously upgrade research, treatment and diagnostic capabilities.

"Disease patterns are changing. We have to think ten steps ahead and prepare ourselves accordingly," Adityanath said while addressing the foundation day ceremony of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences here.

He said healing, learning and discovery must progress together for a medical institute to become a centre of excellence. "One patient is in itself a laboratory for you," he said, urging doctors to document their clinical experiences and interactions with patients as these could contribute to future research and innovation.

Adityanath stressed the need for Indian medical institutions to preserve and use their own healthcare data for research and innovation rather than allowing foreign institutions to derive research from Indian data.

"Today we have resources, technology and a young workforce. The only requirement is to move forward with willpower," he said. The chief minister said RMLIMS had transformed from a 20-bed facility into a 1,400-bed super-speciality institution in six years and called for developing it as a centre of excellence in clinical care, academics and research.

He said the institute also planned a 1,000-bed hospital and a 300-bed trauma centre.

Adityanath said the government had provided resources and financial support to RMLIMS, and it was now the institute's responsibility to utilise them effectively.

Recalling the situation in 2017, Adityanath said there was uncertainty over whether the facility would remain a hospital or be converted into an institute. The government eventually decided to transform it, he said.

He said complaints about the institute had declined considerably, reflecting improved facilities and public satisfaction. The chief minister also stressed the importance of transparent recruitment, saying irregularities or discrimination in appointments could damage an institution for years.

"One person makes a mistake, but the institution has to pay the price," he said.

Taking a swipe at the Samajwadi Party government, Adityanath said, "The entire state had to suffer because of the mistakes of one family." He said his government had since worked to ensure transparency in recruitment and claimed that around 9.5 lakh young people had been given government jobs in Uttar Pradesh during the past nine-and-a-half years.

He said the Centre had decided to establish an AIIMS in Gorakhpur, but the then state government failed to provide suitable land for the project. He said the land issue delayed the project and alleged that his government facilitated the land, paving the way for the AIIMS to become operational.

He claimed that the state's economy and per-capita income had tripled during this period. On healthcare, Adityanath said the major challenge was now not merely funding treatment but reducing waiting lists. He highlighted RMLIMS's progress in kidney transplantation. He said the institute was preparing to treat other complex diseases.

He referred to robotic surgery, Gamma Knife and AI-based diagnostics being developed at the institute. He called for faster expansion of telemedicine and teleconsultation to reduce the burden on major hospitals and address doctor shortages in remote areas.

Highlighting the expansion of medical education, he said the number of medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh had risen from 41 before 2017 to 85, while two AIIMS were operational. MBBS seats had increased from 4,690 to around 13,600 and postgraduate seats from 3,567 to 5,067, he said.

Adityanath referred to a MedTech centre of excellence being developed with IIT Kanpur, another centre at SGPGI, and medical device and pharma parks in the state. He called for closer collaboration between medical institutions and IITs, IIITs and IIMs to promote medical technology, research and innovation.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.