Speakers at the day-long State convention of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) have advised the government to encourage renewable energy, which is non-hazardous.
Studies reveal that nuclear plants are causing health hazards, and the IDPD has asked the Centre to develop solar and wind energy plants, which will also help overcome the power crisis in the coming days.
The IDPD organised the seminar on ‘National Health Policy’ at Siddhartha Government Medical College here on Saturday.
The participants discussed allocation of budget for the health sector following World Health Organisation’s norms in maintaining health, patent rights on drugs, stress disorders, research on medicine, and other topics. Addressing the doctors, IDPD general secretary and Punjab Medical Council member Arun Mithra said renewable energy was three times expensive compared to thermal power and double the cost of the energy generated from gas. “Solar and wind energies are costlier, but they are non-hazardous,” he observed.
Budgetary allocation
Making a power-point presentation, he said in a study taken up on uranium mines in Jharkhand, it was observed that people living within 30-km of the mines were exposed to several health risks.
Regarding allocation of budget, Dr. Mithra said the government should allocate 6 per cent of the GDP for the health sector and take care of the health of people in a holistic approach for providing complete clinical care.
Former AP Medical Council Chairman V. Ramprasad said it was unfortunate that research on medicine was neglected and necessary funds were not being allocated for Research and Development.
He opined that research in the government sector would help discover new drugs for common diseases and help the poor.
Apart from the researches being taken up by the Indian Council for Medical Research, the government should also encourage research activities in other places, Dr. Ramprasad said.
Siddhartha Medical College principal Krishna Murthy presided over the programme. College vice-principal Ravi Kumar, psychiatrist V. Sadanandam, doctors Ramakishan and Rajani participated.
