GORAKHPUR/LUCKNOW, July 1 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday recalled his struggle to have AIIMS set up in Gorakhpur, outlining how the dream became a reality. Addressing the first convocation of AIIMS Gorakhpur, he said, "I had to struggle from the street to Parliament to get an AIIMS in Gorakhpur. As a reward for the struggle, the prime minister laid the foundation of AIIMS in 2016. I am the one who has seen the growth of AIIMS from the seed to a fully grown tree." "AIIMS was once a dream for Gorakhpur and today it is a gift to seven crore people. As I became CM one of the first things was to get land allocated for AIIMS," added Adityanath, who was a five-term MP from Gorakhpur from 1998 to 2017. He urged the MBBS graduates of AIIMS Gorakhpur to conduct in-depth case studies on encephalitis-a disease that has plagued the region for decades and claimed over 50,000 lives in 40 years. Emphasising the importance of research and development, he said, "The number of patients in the region presents an opportunity for study. Understanding the social, economic and geographical backgrounds of patients can enrich your research and better prepare you for future medical challenges. Real-life service begins now." He recalled the dire conditions at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College in the past, saying, "Four patients would share a single bed, often without fans. It was unimaginable." He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership since 2014 for initiating dedicated efforts to combat encephalitis, including the establishment of a Regional Medical Research Centre at BRD Medical College and the setting up of AIIMS in Gorakhpur. Welcoming President Droupadi Murmu to the convocation ceremony, Yogi Adityanath expressed pride in witnessing the first graduating batch of doctors from AIIMS Gorakhpur. "Seeing this dream come true fills us all with pride and enthusiasm," he said. Highlighting the transformation of healthcare infrastructure in the state, Adityanath said, "Eight years ago, eastern Uttar Pradesh had only BRD Medical College. Today, we have medical colleges in every district, including Deoria, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Gonda, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Ghazipur, and Chandauli. A new one is also coming up in Ballia." Governor Anandiben Patel also addressed the gathering....