The rural health sector in India is in a very bad shape and it is high time to effectively address the healthcare needs of rural India, said Prof Ramesh Chandra Deka, Director of All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
Prof Deka was delivering the convocation address at Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (PIMS) in Thiruvalla on Monday.
He has called upon the MBBS students as well as young medical professionals to study the problems facing the country’s rural health sector by becoming a part of it.
According to him, 70 per cent of India’s population lives in rural areas. Access to healthcare for basic and primary diseases like diarrhoea and respiratory infections was not available for a large section of the rural population, he said.
However, Kerala, with its low infant and maternal mortality rates at par with many developed countries, has done better in the field of healthcare compared to various other States.
Prof Deka says the strength of a nation is judged from the education and health of its citizens. Education and health are complementary to each other and quality of healthcare system is an important parameter of progress, he adds.
He further stressed the need to work for improving our health sector in terms of producing competent workforce, delivering affordable and quality healthcare to all, besides taking measures to prevent and control diseases with a holistic approach.
Prof Deka has called upon the medical students to gain experience in dealing with all sections of the population for providing quality and standard care with safe practice of medicine.
Prof Deka said Indian economy has considerably improved and the Government’s emphasis to improve the base and quality of education and healthcare system was clear from the massive national programmes universal Right to Education and National Rural Helath Mission.
“Our leaders are faced with the challenges to reconcile between poverty and plenty, development and corruption, tradition and modernism and most important for the urban and rural divide.” It is the responsibility of the medical professionals in the country to ensure that every Indian has access to primary healthcare, including safe conduct of delivery and care for women’s health, says he.
Prof Deka has also lauded the service rendered by the Christian healthcare institutions, including their medical colleges, to the country’s health sector.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Thiruvalla, Thomas Mar Coorilos, presided the convocation ceremony. Fr Abrahan Mulamottil, Chairman of the Pushpagiri Group of Institutions, delivered the keynote address and Dr John Abraham, PIMS principal delivered the introductory speech.
Fr Mathew Mazhavancheril, PIMS director (Academic) and Dr Lizamma Alex, vice-principal, also spoke.
Prof Deka also presented certificates and mementos to the fresh graduates on the occasion.
Keywords: AIIMS, rural healthcare, Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Prof Ramesh Chandra Deka
Oratory is laudable.Make reservations for Post graduate courses to those who served in rural areas,may be additional seats specially for these candidates.
Why you require a MBBS degree for attending common ailments. When an auxilary nurse is able to manage delivery of baby in rural area , then why can't they Xth pass students be trained for common ailments and minor inhuries.Only the serious cases be referred to MBBS doctor. A good thinking is required not a good speech.
I admire ur speech sir, only if every indian doctor do just 1% for the poor/society, our India can beat all developed nations.
Give the medical graduates the true colors of Practice of Indian Medicine before they go out of medical colleges. Begin with MCI, explain all the charges it faced how they grant license to private medical colleges. Be realistic and tell them how much each MBBS student has to pay to pass their practical examiners. Tell them honestly how much kick backs they get when they really go in to private practice. If they were not told the real picture of indian medical practice, and when they come out and see the true colors,every doctors feels like flying off. Definitely we lack political commitment as a nation but its not the only reason why people are flying/ and or desperately aspiring to fly, even the medical community it self is not honest. And serving the rural is just a political drama and i dont think he needs to direct it.
Mene Deka, Tune Deka, sabne deka. Kya deka, Kya deka? Nothing, as usual in the speech. India's problems are just too huge to make significant dent in administrating the rural health care. Adding to our misery is the dysfunctional political class that does not have a workable plan and that also cannot cognize the issue. My analysis of the situation after the Second World War, suggest to me that the antibiotic alone (to treat infection) has prolonged the life of individuals in a very important way. A calibrated use of antibiotics in the rural India could extend and improve the quality of life. Other problems can be warded off. That said, India’s unbridled use of antibiotics in urban population has also contributed to resistance in a very significant way. So a very thoughtful analysis and debate is required before we rushing in the doctors. A lot of people are initially enthused but get dejected later when faced with the reality.
Why wear these jeryes? Does they look good? Even westerners discarding these circus. It looks more cirxcus jokers comedy than any serious things.
Director correctly pointed out backwardness or less importance giving to rural healthcare major cause for people suffering from accessing basic healthcare facilities. Unless we change at policy level these matter will not impact on remote villages and semi-urban areas. Make it mandatory of before completion of MBBS or after the course to have certificate must and should work in village healthcare center barring geographical restriction kind of procedure improve the chances of accessing qualified doctors alongwith improving existing infrastructure also.
For decades now, it has been 'politically correct' to keep harping on improving Rural Healthcare but sadly, we have no collective political will to achieve it. Malaysia, Cuba and several other nations have successfully implemented nation-wide public health and integrated healthcare initiatives. Here in India, with a strong tertiary healthcare making primary care subservient to it, effective primary healthcare seems a distant dream.
A good beginning in that direction would be by incorporating the district hospitals into the teaching system. That way, rural, meritorious students would get seats - the only category who might work in the rural areas, and not fly away abroad - if anyone.
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