Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, performed the Bhoomi Pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) of the ‘Swasti Nivas’, which is being constructed for patients and their relatives in the premises of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Nagpur, Maharashtra today. Many dignitaries including the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, were present on this occasion.

Union Home Minister also performed the Bhoomi Pujan of the permanent campus of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU), Nagpur and inaugurated the temporary campus virtually.

In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that in the coming days, the name of this cancer institute will be included among the best cancer institutes in the country. He said that its foundation is based on a spirit of service, there are dedicated people behind it, and it is being run with the vision that no one in society remains unhappy. He said that such institutions are the ones that flourish, grow, and serve society for a very long time.

Shri Amit Shah said that when a noble resolve is blessed by God and society, that seed grows into a banyan tree standing before us. Today, this cancer institute, having fully evolved, is working to remove the suffering from the lives of thousands of people. He said that the concept of hospitals in Western countries is different, and the structure of our society, family system, and culture of attachment to relatives is different. Abroad, when someone falls ill, the patient is admitted to the hospital, but here, when someone becomes sick, the entire family connects with them emotionally and with attachment. Shri Shah said that here, with the vision of ‘Swasti Nivas’, the team of this cancer institute has presented a new idea in the field of hospital construction in India, which will keep alive the sensitivities of our families in the coming days. He said that whoever comes here as a patient, their relatives will be able to meet them and stay overnight here at minimal cost. Shri Shah added that Aabaji Thatte, along with Pujya Guruji and Pujya Balasaheb Deoras, dedicated his entire life to the reconstruction of India.  

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that India has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world in terms of percentage. He said that due to cervical cancer, one person dies every 8 minutes in India. A few years ago, cancer was considered an incurable disease, but in the last 15 years, many good cancer institutes have been established across the country, and through them, efforts have been made to make cancer treatment accessible. Shri Shah said that this service institution, situated at the crossroads of the poorest regions of Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra, primarily serves patients from the middle, lower-middle, and economically disadvantaged classes. The Home Minister said that the foundation stone of this institute was laid on February 28, 2015, it was inaugurated in 2023, and today efforts are being made to complete it with ‘Swasti Nivas’.

Shri Amit Shah said that over the past 11 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the country’s healthcare landscape has undergone positive transformation. He said that Prime Minister Modi has made health treatment up to Rs 5 lakh free for millions of poor people of the country. He said that if the amount given by the state is added to this, then a poor person does not need to spend anything up to the treatment of about Rs 25 lakh. Shri Shah said that this has instilled courage in the lives of millions of poor people in the country to fight during illness and has given them hope to recover and live with their families again. He said that Prime Minister Modi has not only provided free treatment up to 5 lakh rupees but has also established a chain of affordable medicine shops.

Union Home Minister said that in 2014, there were 7 AIIMS in the country, and now 23 have been approved. There were 387 medical colleges, which have now increased to 780. MBBS seats were 51,000, and today, 1.18 lakh MBBS doctors graduate annually, while Post Graduate (PG) seats have risen from 31,000 to 74,000. He stated that the previous government's tenure, health budget in 2013-14 was 37,000 crore rupees, which PM Modi has increased to 1.35 lakh crore for 2025-26. He added that with an annual expenditure of 10,000 crore rupees on affordable medicines, PM Modi has brought significant transformation to the country's healthcare landscape. He emphasized that no government alone can keep society healthy, and institutions driven by social service are the backbone of the nation's healthcare sector.

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