President Pranab Mukherjee calls for reforms in health sector
President Pranab Mukherjee today lamented the lack of health care infrastructure and staff in the country, particularly in rural areas, and expressed hope that more investments would help bridge the gap.
After laying the foundation stone for a super speciality hospital here, he said creating better health infrastructure through investments has helped cure several diseases but “there remains a huge gap yet”.
The president said, the country requires not only accessible but affordable medical facilities.
“Against the international norm of a doctor per thousand population, we have one doctor for 1,700 people in our country,” he rued.
“No civilised society can tolerate this,” he said.
The situation is more alarming in rural India where the shortage of surgeons is estimated to the tune of 83%.
The overall shortage translates to 81.2% as on 2015.
The president offered solutions to help overcome some of the challenges. He suggested the situation requires increasing the number of medical colleges and engagement of corporate sector, especially in rural areas.
He asked people to think about the kind of health care system they want – a commercial, profit-driven one or a system compatible with the socio-economic conditions of society.
The president also condemned attacks on doctors, medical staff and vandalism of health institutions. “This …read more
