Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday underlined the need to give importance to preventive health care with simple habits like washing hands among children to reduce the burden on the nation’s health care systems.
Inaugurating the swanky renovated Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital in south Mumbai here, Modi said treating illness and convalescence were expensive but preventive methods were very cheap. “For instance, if we can provide clean pure drinking water, a majority of health problems can be solved.
“After the Sabarmati river was revived with water from the Narmada Dam around 10 years ago, there has not been an outbreak of a single (waterborne disease) epidemic in the city (Ahmedabad). The people have got clean water, water tables have risen and the civic body has made savings of Rs150 million (Dh9million) in bills,” Modi said. Modi cited examples to show how a simple habit such as washing hands before meals among children can prevent many diseases.
Lack of this habit claims many young lives, he said and lauded an initiative by the Madhya Pradesh government of community washing of hands with soap by children as a step towards good health.
Modi also expressed concern over the infant mortality rate and lack of adequate health care which has resulted in the deaths of expectant mothers.
“They need to get the primary focus of attention. The poorest of the poor in the remotest parts must get the best of health care. In this regard, technological advances like telemedicine can be of immense help,” Modi said.
Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the hospital, now in its 90th year, located in south Mumbai, which has been rebuilt by Reliance Foundation, led by its chairperson Nita Ambani, into a modern 19-storey tower with two heritage wings.
Nita Ambani termed it “a historic day” in the life of the hospital which was rededicated to the people of Mumbai.
Present at the inauguration were Kokilaben Ambani, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Sonakshi Sinha, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, M.S. Dhoniamong others.
