Allahabad: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi inaugurated a hospital here named after his great grandmother, Kamala Nehru, wife of the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, on Monday. The Congress MP from Amethi, said, "biggest cause of poverty in India is costly medical facilities which eat into a common man's savings leaving him penniless." Speaking at the inaugural function of 20-bed indoor hospital, which is the rural branch of Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital on Monday, Rahul Gandhi also posed a question on the reasons behind poverty in India before proceeding to answer the same as per his own interpretation.

Rahul Gandhi also drew a comparison between the level of treatment which his relative Arun Nehru, who died few days back, received at a multi-speciality hospital in New Delhi which boasts of five star facilities charging astronomical sums running into several lakhs as room rent per day. The rooms are sparkling while the equipments used are state of art. However, a common man cannot even dream of availing such facilities.

Citing an example of a labourer whom he met few months back, he said, "the person in question, in an effort to bear the costly treatment of his family member, toiled hard for three months at a stretch and thereafter, utilised the savings to bear the costly treatment. This is pathetic and needs to be addressed on priority basis." Accepting that providing medical facilities to countryside folks is a herculean task, he said, "I am besieged by residents from my parliamentary constituency of Amethi with each having his own woes related to health, be it cancer, hole in the heart or any other similar ailment which demands treatment at a premier medical hospital."

Issuing a word of advice for doctors present at the venue, Rahul exhorted them to serve those living in villages and remote corners of the country and shun the comforts of big cities and fat pay package of big hospitals. Welcoming the chief guest, chief executive officer, Kamla Nehru Memorial hospital, Madhu Chandra said it is like homecoming for Rahul Gandhi who has always supported the hospital with best possible assistance." It was set up in 1987 at the initiative of the then prime minister, late Rajiv Gandhi at Newada Samogarh, Naini to provide free medical treatment to rural folks. The new 20-bed wing would run as an indoor facility. The hospital has also adopted five villages in the vicinity.

Senior physician, Dr Kavita Agarwal threw light on the activities of the hospital since last one year wherein it organised 27 camps in the rural areas and provided treatment to 1,819 patients. Later on, Rahul distributed mementoes to field workers and handed over medals to meritorious children of class 3 and 4 employees of the hospital.

The Kamla Nehru memorial medal for outstanding performance in the department of Gynaecology and Obstetrician at Motial Nehru Medical College was awarded to Dr Geetanjali Sharma. On this occasion, oath was also administered to newly inducted para-medical staff.