Prime Minister on June 10 said his government laid stress on improving the country's health care sector in a holistic manner in the last eight years by giving importance to nutritious food and hygiene in addition to providing modern medical services.

He was speaking during a function held after the inauguration of a hospital in Gujarat. "To improve our health sector, we have stressed a holistic approach during the last eight years. In addition to providing modern healthcare services, we are also giving importance to nutritious food, better hygiene and behavioural aspects related to preventive healthcare," the PM said.

The PM-led NDA government completed eight years in office on May 30. Referring to some pro-poor healthcare schemes launched in Gujarat by him when he was the chief minister, the PM said his experience as the head of the state helped him in shaping the health care policy of the country.

"I had introduced the Mukhyamantri Amrutam scheme, which provides free health cover up to Rs two lakh to the poor citizens. Later, when I became the PM, I introduced the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the country, which provides free treatment up to Rs five lakh," the PM said.

Nearly 40 lakh persons, mostly women, have availed the benefit of this central scheme in Gujarat so far, the prime minister said, adding that the state has achieved new milestones in the healthcare sector in the last 20 years.

The PM said that while the bed capacity of state-run Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, a cancer hospital, has gone up from 450 to 1,000, the bed capacity of Kidney Institute will double in the near future.