New Delhi, July 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday commended author and philanthropist Sudha Murty -- newly elected to the Rajya Sabha -- for her impactful maiden speech during the discussion on motion of thanks to the President's Address in the Upper House of the Parliament.

Speaking about women's health, she cited her father's poignant remark - when a mother dies it is counted as one death in the hospital, but for the family, a mother is lost forever.

PM Modi expressed gratitude to Sudha Murty for her comprehensive discussion on women's health, acknowledging her as she stood up and greeted him.

"I want to thank Sudha Murty for speaking in detail about women's health," PM Modi said.

While discussing Sudha Murty's emotional remarks about mothers, the Prime Minister emphasised that over the past decade, his government has prioritised women's health and sanitation as a crucial sector.

"Our country's women have benefited from the toilets we have made," PM Modi said while replying to a debate on a motion thanking President Droupadi Murmu for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament last week.

PM Modi also highlighted that his government has distributed sanitary pads and launched a vaccination program for pregnant women.

Sudha Murty advocated for a government-backed vaccination programme aimed at combatting cervical cancer.

"There is a vaccination which is given to girls, between the age of nine and 14, known as a cervical vaccination. If the girls take that, it (cancer) can be avoided... we should promote vaccination for the benefit of our girls because prevention is better than cure," she said in her first speech in Rajya Sabha.

She suggested that since the government successfully managed a significant vaccination drive during Covid-19, providing cervical vaccination to girls aged 9-14 years should not be very challenging.

Sudha Murty, nominated to the Upper House of the Parliament by President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of International Women's Day, noted that the cervical vaccination, developed in the West, has been in use for the past 20 years.

"It worked very well. It is not expensive. Today, it is Rs 1,400 for people like me who are in the field. If the government intervenes and negotiates... you can bring it to Rs 700-800. We have such a large population. It will be beneficial for our girls in the future," she said during her 13-minute address.

--IANS

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