Citing WHO’s grim predictions about medical challenges before the country, President Pratibha Patil said the expansion of healthcare facilities in India was still a “work in progress“.
“Good health parameters of a society are an absolute necessity for the economic progress... For India, a country with the second largest population in the world, we can realise our demographic dividend only if we empower our citizens,” Ms. Patil told reporters after inaugurating Seven Hills hospital in suburban Andheri this morning.
One way of empowerment was providing adequate health facilities, she added.
“Since our independence we have achieved some success in the healthcare sector like increase in life expectancy and eradication of some endemic diseases. However, it is still a work in progress. We are yet to reach the goal of health for all... access and affordability of healthcare for underprivileged and marginalised sections, in particular women and children, remain unaccomplished tasks,” Ms. Patil, who is on a two—day visit here, said, adding “penetration of health services in rural areas is particularly low.”
Talking about the threat perception by ‘lifestyle diseases’, Ms. Patil said as per WHO, there would be 80 million diabetes patients in the country by 2030, while as per the Cardiological Society of India, there would be a 100 million heart cardiac patients - 60 per cent of the total cardiac patients in the world - in India by 2020.
“WHO has cautioned that India would be diabetes capital of the world,” she added.
Citing WHO estimate, Ms. Patil said this would cost about USD 335 billion over the next ten years.
“This is a large economic cost to the nation. Special attention should be given to women and children... In our country, one woman dies every 7 minutes due to child birth complications,” the President said, adding that she favours regular visits to rural areas by the doctors.
In this respect, Ms. Patil said, “tele—medicine” has been found to be the most cost effective ways for serving those who do not have access to primary health facilities.
The President also said doctors should draw on traditional Indian medicine systems, as they offer cure for some diseases where allopathy does not have any answers.
The function was attended by Maharashtra governor K Sankaranarayanan, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Mayor Shraddha Jadhav.
Ms. Jadhav, in her speech, mentioned that the hospital was a public—private venture and has agreed to reserve 20 per cent of the total of 1,500 beds for the poor.
The hospital is one of Asia’s largest hospitals offering modern facilities and healthcare at an affordable cost, she claimed.
“However MoU in this regard has not been signed by the management yet, though MCGM has been pressing them for some time,” Ms. Jadhav pointed.
