Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday voiced concern over increasing instances of heart disease and other non-communicable illnesses, attributing the trend to changing lifestyles, poor dietary habits and declining physical activity. He also outlined the state government’s healthcare initiatives.
He was addressing the inaugural session of the National Interventional Council (NIC) conference at the auditorium of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University. The chief minister said heart ailments, diabetes and hypertension increasingly affect younger people.
“Chaotic lifestyles and unhealthy food habits are among the main reasons behind the sharp rise in heart diseases. People no longer have fixed routines for sleeping and waking up, physical activity has reduced, and smartphone use has increased significantly,” he said.
The three-day conference, organised under the aegis of the Cardiology Society of India, has brought together specialists and cardiologists from across the country and abroad.
The chief minister stressed that the growing burden of non-communicable diseases poses a serious challenge and called for greater emphasis on preventive healthcare. He urged citizens to adopt disciplined routines, consume home-cooked nutritious food, avoid fast food, practise yoga and exercise regularly.
“A healthy society can only be built on the foundation of healthy citizens. A sick nation cannot become self-reliant, empowered or fully developed,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s healthcare outreach, Adityanath said the Ayushman Bharat scheme had significantly reduced anxiety over treatment costs by providing free medical care of up to ₹5 lakh to eligible beneficiaries.
He added that the state government had extended similar coverage under its own scheme to groups not covered earlier, including teachers, Anganwadi workers and school cooks.
The chief minister said Uttar Pradesh had moved beyond its earlier image as a “BIMARU” state and was now emerging as a growth engine.
He also spoke about the rapid expansion of medical infrastructure in the state, saying the number of medical colleges had increased sharply over the past decade.
“Ten years ago, there were only 17 government medical colleges in the state. Today, 81 medical colleges, along with two AIIMS institutions, are operational,” he said.
Adityanath said the government was also working to make treatment more affordable through the development of Medical Device Parks and Pharma Parks in the state, aimed at manufacturing equipment and medicines locally.
He further said intensive care facilities had been established in every district and that advanced Cath Labs, Tele-ICU and tele-consultation services were being expanded in major institutions such as King George’s Medical University, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences and the Lohia Institute.
The chief minister also said the government was continuing action against food adulteration and those compromising public health, citing recent crackdowns on fake dairy products and adulterated food supplies across the state.
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