Health Index decides nation's development: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri with his family members after having darshan at Tirumala temple on Tuesday morning
Tirupati: Health care and education are the two crucial components in the growth of a country and the Health Index decides the development of a nation, said Union minister for housing, urban affairs and petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri.
The Union minister along with his family and entourage, after offering prayers in the temple of Sri Venkateswara Swamy at Tirumala on Tuesday, visited TTD-run Sri Padmavathi Children's Heart Centre (SPCHC) and BIRRD Ortho Hospitals.
TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy and SPCHC director Dr Srinath Reddy led him to the various wards where the infants and children are being treated for their heart ailments. The minister visited Cath Lab, ICU, etc., and interacted with the patients' parents.
Puri, who was impressed by the corporate level medical facilities provided free of cost to the ailing children, lauded TTD for taking up social service activities on a massive scale ensuring free treatment and surgeries which involve huge cost, to the infants and children free of cost. Later, he also visited the BIRRD ortho hospital where the knee joint replacements and ortho related ailments are being carried out free of cost to the needy. Speaking to media persons, he said the services in these two TTD-run hospitals are laudable and especially the paediatric cardiac centre is impeccable.
"I had just seen a few days-old, months-old infants who were successfully treated by the team of dedicated doctors and para medical staff in the hospital giving a new lease of life to the kids. I also compliment TTD for having started such a wonderful hospital and the state government also for its support," he added.
He said that he was informed that even during the hard times of Covid, the TTD-run BIRRD hospital had served as a Covid care centre and treated many which deserve a pat.
"Today, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, we rebuilt the health care sector in the country from scratch. India stood as a role model to the entire world during the Covid pandemic and today over 224 crore doses of vaccines are being manufactured by us," he said adding that India is the fifth largest economy and is all set to move further.
TTD JEO for health and education Sada Bhargavi, executive engineer Krishna Reddy, SPCHC Dr Ganapathi and BIRRD doctors, including Dr Ramamumurthy, Dr Pradeep, Dr Venugopal and others were also present.