New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) The central government is focusing on developing a holistic healthcare system, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday and advised youths to focus on proper food intake, exercise and sleep so that they remain fit and contribute to the country’s development.

Addressing an event on World Liver Day, Shah said a healthy liver is the gateway to a healthy body.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, the central government has worked to create a holistic healthcare system in the country and has launched many programmes and schemes in this direction.

Shah said that the health budget of the government which was Rs 37,000 crore in 2014 has now grown to Rs 1.27 lakh crore.

He said people in the country should have proper intake of food and water, adequate hours of sleep and regular exercise, while the Modi government will take rest of the responsibility of taking care of their health through various programmes.

“On the occasion of ‘World Liver Day’, everyone should take a pledge to keep their liver healthy with complete awareness and diligence,” he said at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).

Shah cited his experience of adopting a healthy lifestyle in the form of proper food, water, sleep and exercise since May 2019 and added that it has freed him from medicines and enhanced his capacity to work, think and make decisions.

The minister inaugurated an Integrated Liver Rehabilitation Centre at ILBS and also visited a cartoon exhibition organised around the theme of liver health at the institute.

“I enjoy cartoons, including those based on me,” Shah said in a lighter vein and lauded ILBS director Dr S Sareen for the various initiatives by the institute in creating awareness on liver health.

The home minister urged corporate houses to publicise the importance of liver health and support the institutes working in the field of liver treatment and research.

He said the Modi government’s schemes such as Ujjwala Yojna, Khelo India, Fit India and other initiatives on drinking water and toilets were directly associated with public health.

Shah said that the Modi government has spent Rs 65, 000 crore on health infrastructure in the country and has made arrangements to make every Primary Health Center (PHC) and Community Health Center (CHC) a complete unit.

He said that for the availability of affordable generic medicines, a network of more than 15,000 Jan Aushadhi Centres has been created in the country and under Mission Indradhanush, arrangements have been made for free vaccination of children from birth to the age of 15 years. PTI VIT RT RT