Life is uncertain due to the prevalence of diseases and medical conditions. This reality applies more to the poor and marginal living in rural areas, handicapped by a lack of information and access to health care. Moreover, the cost of treatment in many cases is so high that a poor family is often left with the choice between no treatment for their loved ones or treatment by selling off their last belongings. The healthcare picture for the common man in the state was always gloomy.
However, things started changing after the Devendra Fadnavis government came to power at the end of 2014. Picking healthcare as one of his first priorities, Fadnavis started the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Seva to ensure that citizens get good and affordable healthcare facilities. Next, he created the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund to provide health treatment assistance to the needy.
The development of a state or country doesn’t count without a proper and effective public healthcare system in place. With that as the guiding force, Devendraji set out on a mission to overhaul the health system of the state. Establishing the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Cell, he provided medical treatment worth 1761 crores to 24 lakh patients during his 5-year tenure. At the same time, he implemented programs like ‘Mission Dhavani’ and provided hearing aids to deaf children. When Devendraji was the Chief Minister, he would always allocate high amounts of funds to the health department in the budget. His government obtained $500 billion through the Asian Development Bank to strengthen the public healthcare infrastructure of the state. State-of-the-art super specialty hospitals were set up in 34 districts of the state. 7 hospitals were set up in Maharashtra for the health of workers and their families. Under the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, medical treatment up to 5 lakhs was ensured free of cost to the common man and white ration card holders. Dialysis centers were set up in 108 places in the state. District hospitals were equipped with medical assistance. Devendraji built a modern 450-bed cancer hospital in Nagpur on the lines of the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
Swachh Mukh Abhiyan started – Swachh Mukh Abhiyan
Devendraji wanted to change the work culture of the government departments to make them more efficient, faster, and people-pro. So, he started a unique scheme called the ‘Chief Minister Fellowship’ program, inviting young graduates of the state to participate in the state government’s administrative services as interns and contribute to improving the efficiency of the departments with their energy, speed, and digital knowledge. Dr. Mayur Mundhe, a student from the 2018 batch of this scheme, had presented the problem of oral cancer in the context of the social health system to Devendra Fadnavis. At that time, the incidence of oral cancer was highest in Maharashtra. To save its citizens from this and make their smiles ‘healthy,’ India’s first ‘Swachh Mukh Abhiyan’ was started under the guidance of Devendraji. Maharashtra became the first state in India to implement schemes related to oral health.
Devendraji not only started schemes but also took them to the grassroots. He also helped many on a personal level. During the Lok Sabha elections, Devendraji worked his heart out, holding more than 125 public meetings across the state. However, many saw Devendraji as someone who takes personal care of the citizens when required. Once, while his convoy was passing through the Tekdi Ganapati Temple area in Nagpur, Devendraji saw a 65-year-old accident victim lying on the roadside. Devendraji stopped his convoy and rushed to the injured person. Since the person was seriously injured and vomiting blood, Devendraji immediately called an ambulance to send the person to the hospital and arranged prompt treatment. Until the ambulance arrived, Devendraji remained at the scene and made sure the person got proper treatment and then only left for his destination.
In another example, Vedant Thackeray, a young boy from Raigad district, was suffering from thalassemia and used to remain bedridden at his young age. As soon as Devendraji heard about this, he donated Rs. 40 lakhs for Vedant’s treatment. After surgery and proper treatment, Vedant started walking without help. Be it the help needed for a heart transplant surgery for a simple worker or the treatment expenses of Maharashtra wrestler Vijay Doifode. Devendraji is always ready to help. There are many examples of Devendraji’s benevolent nature. Even if he receives a phone call, watches news on TV or even receives a verbal message, Devendraji personally takes care and provides medical assistance to the patients. Many people were helped on a personal level through the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund established by Devendraji. The scheme has treated 15 lakh patients at a cost of Rs. 842 crore through more than 450 hospitals. Not only this, Devendraji, who was the leader of the opposition during the COVID time, visited all district administrations tirelessly to ensure treatment and hospitalization of COVID patients, arranging ventilators and other equipment in the hospitals to save their lives, when the government services had almost crumbled. He also provided insurance coverage to public healthcare workers. After becoming the Deputy Chief Minister in 2022, Devendraji spent Rs. 5,000 crore to improve the state’s public health system with the help of the World Bank. Various health tests are now done free of cost in government hospitals. The funding for the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, which was started in 2016, was also increased from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh. Many such examples can be cited. Devendraji, in his own life, had to lose his loved one without proper treatment. Therefore, he goes the extra mile to see the citizens get proper treatment for their health problems.
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