Lucknow, March 22 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday distributed appointment letters to 1,228 newly selected nursing officers, highlighting the state government’s resolve to strengthen the healthcare system and also its commitment to “give wings’ to the dreams of thousands of medical aspirants. 

Interestingly, a whopping 1,097 nursing officers out of 1,228 are women, and the remaining 131 are male.

Addressing the gathering after handing over appointment letters, the Chief Minister said this was a step towards women’s empowerment during the sacred ‘Chaitra Navratri’.

CM Yogi said that the newly appointed nursing officers will now not only shape their own future but also go to write a new chapter of trust and empathy in the state's health services.

In a pointed reference to women candidates accounting for a lion's share in the appointment, he said, “It is a matter of immense pride for us that out of a total of 1,228 candidates, 1,097 are women. In the developmental journey of the past nine years, the double-engine government's efforts to elevate the respect, security, and dignity of maternal power to new heights find direct expression in this number.”

The Chief Minister also interacted with a couple of newly appointees, brimming with joy and excitement over their new journey of life.

He went to elaborate about double engine government’s efforts in diverse sectors for increasing employment opportunities, bridging the gaps in economic and social sectors and also how the healthcare system, in particular was improving in the state.

“Thirty-five ANM training centers, which had ceased operations, have been restarted. Construction work is currently underway for 35 new nursing colleges. The "double-engine government" has prioritised healthcare, and the positive outcomes of this approach are now evident to everyone,” he said.

“A significant decline has been observed in both the maternal mortality rate and the infant mortality rate. In this regard, Uttar Pradesh is now standing on par with the national average,” he informed.

Taking shot at the previous governments, CM Yogi remarked that, in the past, every government department was controlled by a specific "mafia".

“The functioning of each department was dictated by the mafia elements. Now, the state has moved beyond the era of mafia dominance and has, instead, advanced towards the One District, One Medical College initiative. A medical college and a nursing college have now been established in every district,” CM Yogi remarked.

--IANS