We make our policies on the basis of countrymen first, unlike the oppn: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that his government had worked hard to bring the northeast into the national mainstream and accused the opposition of neglecting the region and being credit hungry.

Modi, who was speaking at a function to dedicate the northeast's first AIIMs here, said his government on the other hand formulated policies by placing people first.

Attacking the opposition, Modi asserted, We make our policies on the basis of countrymen first ... (but) the opposition is credit hungry and credit hungry people destroy the nation.

He added, We work with 'Seva Bhaav' (spirit of service) and 'samarpan' for the people.

He also stressed that his government had worked hard to ensure dramatic improvement in social infrastructure in the Northeast over the last 9 years.

The Northeast was distant for earlier governments...we have served with dedication to bring it near, the prime minister said.

He pointed out that, Social infrastructure has significantly improved in the Northeast in the last nine years, while speaking at the function held at the AIIMS, Guwahati campus.

He added what people find amazing is the expansion of the educational and health infrastructure in the region.

Modi said he was happy to note that the people of NE have come forward to take the reins of development in their own hands and are marching ahead with development as their mantra.

In this new revolution of progress, the central government was functioning like a friend, a 'sevak' (servant), working with all states in the region, he said.

The prime minister claimed that the Northeast had suffered for decades under family-controlled politics, regionalism, corruption and insecurity under which development was not possible and the region paid a huge price for this.

Modi pointed out that work was started on some 15 new AIIMS, after his government came to power.

He said his government has worked hard to enhance medical infrastructure and increase in medical professionals.

Prior to 2014, there were only 150 medical colleges in the country but during the last nine years this had increased to 300.

Similarly, the number of seats in medical schools had been doubled.

The Prime Minister also said, 'Our policies have ensured that women, particularly pregnant women, and the poor do not have to travel far for treatment.

He added that he understood the worries of the poor and middle class when they fall ill and the tension they go through worrying about the cost of treatment.

The Prime Minister said as a consequence the government has launched over 9000 Jan Aushadi Kendras to provide medicines at a cheaper cost while stents and knee implants prices have been controlled.

He also virtually inaugurated three medical colleges at Nalbari, Nagaon and Kokrajhar.

The 500-bed tertiary care teaching hospitals with 24 undergraduate departments in the three medical colleges will start with 100 annual MBBS student intake, taking the total MBBS student intake to 1500 in Assam.

He also laid the foundation of the Rs 546 crore Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute (AAHII), a joint initiative of the state government and IIT Guwahati.

AAHII aims to promote inventions and innovations in medicine and healthcare, nurturing multidisciplinary research and development in frontier areas of medicine by marrying engineering with healthcare.

The prime minister also launched the distribution of 1.1 crore Ayushman cards to beneficiaries who will be able to avail cashless healthcare medical treatment benefits up to Rs five lakh with these cards.