The Hindu : `Health systems must address treatment cost too'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

`Health systems must address treatment cost too'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI JUNE 30. Health systems are not only responsible for improving health but also for protecting people against financial cost, the WHO co-coordinator, P.T.Jayawickramarajah, said, delivering the address at the thirteenth convocation of the Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University here today.

Health systems were now regarded in a wider perspective to include measures directed at improving health such as lifestyle education in school, behavioural changes to stop smoking, and wearing seat belts and helmets. Its goals included "improving the health of the population, responding to people's expectations and providing financial protection against the cost of ill- health", he said.

The first and second-generation reforms in healthcare were supply oriented, whereas the current third generation reform was concerned with demand. "We advocate a new universalism — high quality delivery of essential care defined by cost effectiveness for all those who ask for it, rather than all possible care for the whole population."

On medical education, he said the curriculum adequately addressed the need for training students to manage individual and community health problems, but there was little or no focus on issues of quality, equity, relevance and cost-effectiveness of healthcare. "There is very little economics among those who plan and implement the curricula for health professionals," Dr. Jayawickramarajah said.

"The use of innovative educational strategies such as community-oriented problem-based learning with appropriate use of technologies can enhance development of health professionals," he said, and added that procedures for selecting postgraduate students was not educationally sound, and were ill-timed and outdated.

Degrees awarded

Besides awarding doctorate, postgraduate and graduate degrees to 7,936 medical, dental and paramedical students, the convocation ceremony was a platform for conferring honorary degrees of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on the cardiologists, K.M.Cherian and Mathew Samuel Kalarickal, the geriatrician, V.S.Natarajan, and the neurologist, C.U.Velmurugendran.

The highlight of the function was the presentation of 13 awards to the MBBS student, Radha Raghupathy of Madras Medical College by the Governor and Chancellor, P.S.Ramamohan Rao. Dr. Radha won four gold medals, five silver medals and four cash awards.

Fortynine gold medals, 18 silver medals and 38 cash awards were presented. Also Ph.D degrees were presented to 30 candidates.

The Vice-Chancellor, C.V.Bhirmanandham, in his report, said academic bodies were engaged in revamping the syllabi to ensure that the curricula and training would be suited societal needs. "Undergraduate students will be imparted more knowledge of common diseases prevailing in our country."

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