The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Health for all is a gigantic task: Pranab Mukherjee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 20, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Health for all is a gigantic task: Pranab Mukherjee

Staff Reporter

Voluntary organisations "should help achieve the objective"

HOSPITAL VISIT: Pranab Mukherjee at the Sundaram Finance Golden Jubilee Critical Care Block in the Hindu Mission Hospital, Tambaram, on Tuesday. Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation G.K. Vasan is also seen. — Photo: A. M uralitharan

TAMBARAM: Ensuring health for all was a gigantic task and voluntary organisations, private initiatives and individual commitment were also required to help achieve that objective, Union Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday.

"Even more than 50 years after independence, completion of 10 five-year plans and a couple of annual plans, we are unable to reach a vast multitude of our population with the necessary health care," he remarked, adding that the concept of "Health for All" could not be achieved with Governmental efforts alone. The Minister was speaking after declaring open the Sundaram Golden Jubilee Critical Care Block at the Hindu Mission Hospital in Tambaram.

In the past, people surrendered to fate after they were afflicted with diseases that were either incurable or could not be diagnosed, Mr. Mukherjee said. But now there was hardly a disease that could not be cured. It had to be ensured that people had access to the right technology that could diagnose diseases correctly and the right treatment that could cure their ailments. Reminding doctors and paramedical staff that people suffering from ailments considered "physicians as their best friends at the hour of stress", Mr. Mukherjee said doctors had to bear in mind that apart from treatment, their attitude and approach played a significant part in curing patients.

The Minister also congratulated the services of the Hindu Mission Hospital, particularly to poor people. Srinivasan K. Swamy, president of the hospital thanked the principal donor, Sundaram Finance and others who helped in establishing the critical care block.

G.K. Vasan, Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation and S. Ram, Director, Sundaram Finance, offered their felicitations. D.K. Srinivasan, secretary of the hospital and D. Sudarsanam, MLA were present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu