Noting that there is a “high variance” in the quality of service available in public and private sector hospitals, President Pranab Mukherjee today said the country’s healthcare system should be developed to meet medical requirements of all sections. He said good health of its people is the very foundation of a nation as a person who is not healthy is unable to access opportunities for learning, growth and productive work.
In India, a number of rights are guaranteed to its citizens but none of these can be utilised or enforced by persons who are sick, enfeebled and spend their entire energy on treatment and medical care, the President said. Observing that delivery of health services in India is by both the public sector and private sector, he said, “There is a high variance in the quality of service available as well.” “Some private hospitals provide world class facilities, so much so that people from third countries come for treatment giving impetus to medical tourism.
“On the other hand, is the lack of access to even basic medical care for many people particularly the poor and disadvantaged. Our medical healthcare system has to be developed to cater to medical requirements of all sections of society, both in rural and urban areas,” he said inaugurating 6th FICCI HEAL 2012 annual international conference. At the national level, according to a WHO study, the estimated economic loss for India due to deaths caused by all diseases in 2005 was 1.3 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product.
“With an increase in the number of non-communicable diseases, this loss is apprehended to increase to 5 per cent of GDP by 2015 if it is not checked.”Therefore, a healthcare coverage that assures access to medicines and treatment at affordable prices is an objective, essential for the full utilisation of the human resource capacity and one to which India is committed to achieve. The task is-how to make this a reality,?” he said during his first public function after becoming President.Mukherjee was sworn in as 13th President on July 25.
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