Lucknow, Feb 6 (IANS): Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, has said that the state government has initiated the process of dismissing 774 doctors who have remained absent from work.

“Negligence will not be tolerated,” Pathak said.

He said that the condition of health services in UP before 2017 is not hidden from anyone.

“Doctors did not go to the hospital. There was a shortage of medicines and the machines did not work,” he said, claiming that the incumbent government was providing “world class” health services to the common people.

“Our government is opening medical colleges in every district,” he said, stressing that before 2017, there were only 17 medical colleges in the state.

“Today 65 medical colleges are functioning at full capacity,” he said.

Pathak said that all the medical colleges of the state have been graded by the Quality Control of India.

Meanwhile, reacting to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations that the state Budget was aimed to satisfy only 10 per cent of the population, Pathak said that the mentality of the SP leader has been “corrupted”.

“The SP leaders have no agenda. This is the reason why they see negativity in every work,” he said.