GHAZIABAD, Oct. 27 -- President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday emphasised that fulfilling social responsibility should be a priority for healthcare institutions along with their medical duties, underlining the need to ensure access to quality health services for underprivileged sections of society. The President was speaking at the inauguration of a new private healthcare facility in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, where defence minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath were also present. Minister of state for health and family welfare Anupriya Patel and UP deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak attended the event as well. "Along with medical responsibility, social responsibility should be a priority for healthcare institutions. I wish that this institution acts in line with the mission of providing affordable, world-class healthcare to all," the President said while addressing the gathering. "There are many underprivileged people in our country who contribute to national development. Their lives are equally important and they too should benefit from quality healthcare services," she added. Murmu said that protecting people from diseases and improving their health was a priority for the government, and health and medical infrastructure, institutions, and services were being continuously expanded across the country for that purpose. "Healthcare is a vital component of nation building. Healthcare infrastructure and services are being expanded regularly. All such efforts in healthcare services are crucial for Swasth Bharat (healthy India) and Viksit Bharat (developed India). So apart from the efforts of the government, all stakeholders should have an important role. All stakeholders should also ensure better healthcare in every part of the country, and no citizen should remain deprived of effective healthcare services," she added. Murmu further stated that with the support of excellent healthcare institutions in both private and government sectors, India would gain more recognition as a global healthcare destination. Rajnath Singh, who has been a former MP from Ghaziabad, lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in taking healthcare to the doorsteps of the poor. "We have ensured that no poor should lose hope due to any sort of disease. We have focused on healthcare infrastructure and as a result, there are 800 medical colleges across the country now, compared to 387 in 2014. MBBS seats have increased from about 50,000 in 2014 to over 1.2 lakh now. Twenty-two new AIIMS have been approved, of which 12 are functional and four are nearing completion. Once all these start functioning, Bharat's health network will become stronger," Singh said. Adityanath lauded the private healthcare facility as a step towards investment in the state and also a mode of providing employment. "It is not just an inauguration, but an investment and a mode of employment for about 5,000 persons, including doctors, healthcare and paramedic staff, and others. "In the past 11 years, Bharat has made great strides in healthcare. In UP, we have created 42 new medical colleges, and two AIIMS are successfully operational in Rae Bareli and Gorakhpur. Many super-speciality institutions have come up in UP to ensure that 25 crore citizens get better healthcare services," Adityanath added....