Hospital to take care of paramilitary personnel

The government is committed to provide the best possible facilities to paramilitary forces personnel, who are working in "very adverse conditions", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday.

Laying the foundation stone for the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) here, Singh said the personnel are deployed in some of the most difficult places in the country, including Maoist-affected states, the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir.

"They work in very adverse conditions, often at considerable risk to their lives," Singh said.

Describing the CAPFIMS as a "long-felt need", he said it will ensure better healthcare for families of the paramilitary personnel, who spend much of their time away from home, discharging "arduous and onerous responsibilities". He hoped that this will lead to higher morale and more efficient functioning of these forces.

The new medical complex, which is coming up on a 51.41-acre plot in south Delhi's Maidan Garhi at a cost of Rs 1,368 crore, will serve nine lakh personnel in the BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB and the Assam Rifles and their families.

"We have also given focused attention to strengthening infrastructure and building capacity,” he said.