Modi govt making 'unprecedented' efforts to serve poor: Amit Shah

Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for capping of knee implant prices, BJP chief Amit Shah today said the government was making "unprecedented" efforts to serve the poor and elderly in the country.

Shah said the Modi government was converting the ancient concept of 'Sarve Santu Niramaya' (may all be free from illness) into a reality in the country.

The government had yesterday announced capping of prices of knee implants at a significantly lower rate than the current market costs, a move that could result in savings of Rs 1,500 crore annually to patients requiring surgery.

The decision came a day after the prime minister made the announcement of bringing down knee surgery prices in his Independence Day speech.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after taking reins in 2014, has taken several steps to bring down prices of some medicines and treatment of incurable diseases, and the poor have been greatly relieved," Shah wrote in his blog.

"Reducing price of knee transplant is not the first instance of Modi government's sensitivity.A few months after coming to power, Modi government had brought the 'Jan Aushadhi Kendra' scheme in January 2015, making available 500 important medicines at 50-95 percent less cost," he said in his blog.

The government also provided a "big relief" to crores of heart patients bringing prices of stents to one-fourth of the existing prices, he said.

In an indirect attack on non-BJP governments, Shah said that Modi government has extended its limits beyond the cities and rich people.

"The parameter of success for the previous governments was GDP, economic growth rate and share indices and the needs of common man remained neglected.

"Modi government expanded its limits beyond the cities and rich and brought the under privileged in the mainstream through dozens of schemes like Ujjwala, Ujala and Swachh Bharat. Bringing down the prices of essential medicines, stents and knee transplant are efforts in the same direction," the BJP chief added.