Provide free medical service to the very poor: Prime Minister
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made it clear that private hospitals have a social obligation to provide free medical care to some of the very poor people and that will be the justification for encouraging the private hospital system in the country.
Stating that it was necessary that efforts of the government were supplemented by the private sector, he hoped that hospitals would bear their obligation in mind. “Our Government's aim is to provide good medical care at affordable cost to the people of India. In the public hospitals system, medical care is provided almost entirely free. However, given the vastness of the country and the large population, it is necessary that the efforts of the Government are supplemented by the private sector and that will be the justification for encouraging private hospitals system,” the Prime Minister said.
He was here to formally inaugurate two hospitals – 110-bed Apollo Reach Hospital and Vasan Eye Care Hospital – in the presence of Governor K. Rosiah and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram here on Monday. Dr. Singh told private hospitals that while they had an obligation to provide medical care at an affordable cost to the people, it was also their social obligation to provide free medical care to some of the very poor people.
Stating that the UPA government at the Centre had laid great emphasis on healthcare, the Prime Minister said that the National Rural Health Mission had become one of its flagship programmes.
In the last six years till March 2011, about Rs.63,000 crore was released to the States under the NRHM. Over 1.4 lakh personnel, including doctors, specialists, nurses and paramedics, were added to the health system.
Earlier, after inaugurating the Apollo Reach Hospital, the Prime Minister congratulated Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Prathap C. Reddy for bringing world class medical facility to many parts of India.
“Through the model of Apollo Reach Hospitals, he (Dr. Reddy) is bringing the best medical facilities to rural India locations such as Sivaganga. ,” Dr. Singh said.
He also lauded Vasan Eye Hospital Group Chairman A. M. Arun for inaugurating the group's 100th eye hospital at Karaikudi.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who spoke in Tamil after seeking the Prime Minister's permission, said it was Dr. Singh who laid the foundation stone in September 2008 for the Karaikudi Apollo Reach Hospital at a function in Chennai and it was now ready.
“The Prime Minister has come all the way from New Delhi to Karaikudi to inaugurate two hospitals. People in this area will benefit a lot since they will get top class health care facilities,” Mr. Chidambaram said.
Mr. Reddy welcomed the five-year tax holiday announced for hospitals started outside metros.
“The stimulus that the Government gives will help and transform the health sector in India. The country needs one lakh more beds in hospitals in the next 10 years.,” Dr. Reddy observed.
Apollo Hospitals Managing Director Preetha Reddy and Vasan Eye Hospital Group Chairman A. M. Arun were present.
There will be critics always when the corporate hospitals are blooming. If the corporate hospitals are not biuld with the state of the art facilities, how much of our money would have gone to the foreign countries spent by the rich and politicians. How many of our specilaists who are sick about the colture in Government hospitals would have left the country.The efficiency and work ethics are far better in the corporate sector. The govt. has realised that and giving insurance to all the poor rather than draining the resources into white elephant(Govt. sector).Since almost all of the Indians are corrupt and selfish in their attitude,I don't think public sector concept will work especially in the complex curative treatment. Once we Indians become reasonably honest like in western countries, than we may think about comprehensive govt. delivered healthcare as in Cuba or United Kingdom but not until now.
It may be true that the NRHM has released Rs. 63,000 crores to the States to improve health care delivery of the Public sector in the last six years and not even a rupee from that was given to the Private sector health care institution. He was magnanimous enough to declare a five year tax holiday for the new private hospitals. The Government can give things free to all they want. The private sector cannot think of that as long as they are plundered and bled by the bureaucrats and Governments. It is time to respect the doctors who are willing to sacrifice their wealth, time and energy to build a better India. The Government has a duty to protect and promote them in every state. Unfortunately no State Govt. has a full picture of health care facilities available in the private sector. If the NRHM had passed on one-third of their investment to private sector at least the shortage of 1 lakh hospital beds would have been solved by the private sector.
PM is very eager to open private hospitals...didnt talk about present
problems in tamilnadu
The prime minister should have ignored the inauguration of Apollo Hospital at Sivaganga. Everybody knows that Apollo Hospitals group is not for the poor or middle class people. This group is running hospitals on a business basis and there are no ethics involved here. Perhaps this hospitals give full concessions to politicians and bureaucrats, obviously to gain later. A stark reminder is the way whole of Greams Road in Chennai misused and encroached by this hospital. Residents who alive around suffer to the maximum extent. Regardless of the government, private hospitals manage to rein in and fleece the patients to their death.
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