There was an urgent need for more specialist doctors in the country, particularly in the field of paediatric and psychology sector, a top Tamil Nadu health official said on Friday.
With demand increasing for the specialities, it was estimated that at least one lakh psychiatrists were required across the country, as against the present availability of hardly 3,000 specialists in the field, V.K. Subburaj, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, said, while speaking at the three-day Indo-US Emergency Medicine Summit here.
Stating that 25 per cent of the women died during delivery time and about 25 per cent infants died before attaining the age of one in India, he said “it is, therefore, necessary to think for emergency medical care in both the fields.” Tamil Nadu government appointed 5,000 well trained nurses in the primary health centres and other hospitals to take care of such cases, he added.
Another major cause for the death in India was consumption of poison and almost 22,000 persons were being admitted in different hospitals in India following this, Mr. Subburaj said.
Considering the increasing deaths due to accidents, about 1.20 lakh fatal and six to seven lakh injuries - in Tamil Nadu, trauma wards had been modernised in 10 major centres, at a cost of Rs. 1.5 crore each, the official said.
