Vice President called upon public-private partnership to address shortage of doctors and nurses
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu called upon private hospitals, medical colleges, nursing institutions and people in medical fraternity to adopt schools in their respective neighbourhoods and counsel the students on preventive healthcare. The Vice President was inaugurating the MGM Healthcare, a 400-bedded Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai.
Referring to the growing incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), including cancer, heart disorders and diabetes, he said that modern lifestyle changes were aggravating NCDS.
In his address he encouraged the medical fraternity, including the private hospitals and other institutions, to reach out to schools and colleges and create awareness among the students on the dangers of lifestyle diseases.
The Vice President also urged doctors, actors and media houses to adopt professional social responsibility on the lines of corporate social responsibility to create awareness among people, particularly the youth, on the need to avoid physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary habits.
He also suggested that a national movement be launched against the growing incidence of NCDs.
Quoting World Health Organization's data released in 2017, Mr. Naidu observed that about 61 per cent of deaths in India were attributed to NCDs, including heart disorders, cancer and diabetes.
He also called upon the Indian Medical Association to take the lead in promoting awareness among the people, particularly school and college students.
He emphasized the urgent need to establish NCD clinics in both urban and rural areas and the private sector must play a prominent role in setting up such clinics.
Exit Exam For MBBS, Increased Seats For Medical Education: Draft National Education Policy
Pointing out that despite the improved reach of healthcare delivery, he said there was a huge disparity in the healthcare services provided between urban and rural areas, the Vice President called upon the private sector and hospitals like MGM Healthcare to step in and complement the efforts of the government in reaching modern healthcare facilities to the rural areas, including the remote places.
Expressing concern over the shortage of around 600,000 doctors and two million nurses, he wanted both the private and the public sector to join hands to remedy the situation and also suggested the setting up of more medical colleges, hospitals and health infrastructure that can deliver affordable diagnostic and treatment services to the people.
Mr. Naidu also called for adopting the Public Private Partnership model to bridge the gap in providing technically advanced primary and secondary healthcare centres, especially in rural areas.
Click here for more Education News