National
PM laments state of medical research
By Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, DEC. 17. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today lamented that medical research was not getting adequate attention.
Unveiling the inaugural plaque for the new medical college coming up on the campus of the Safdarjung Hospital here, Mr. Vajpayee agreed that medical professionals were overburdened. But, they should focus on research too, besides providing treatment.
``We must spare some time for research activities, along with providing treatment and dig deep into various health issues. India must strive to be on par with international standards, if not lead the world, in the field of medicine''.
The Prime Minister stressed that medicine should not be treated as a business proposition.
Although, healthcare institutions were considered as an industry in legal terms, they should not be run like industrial establishments.
They should be administered differently, considering that they were dealing with a primary need of the people.
Mr. Vajpayee expressed the hope that the people associated with the new medical college would live up to the high principles of the Jain saint, Mahaveer, after whom it has been named. ``It is easy to name institutions after great people. But difficult to live up to their principles''.
The Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, regretted that not enough attention was being paid to health and education. Making an oblique reference to the December 13 terrorist attack on the Parliament House, he declared that those challenging the security of the country would have to face the consequences.
The Union Health minister, Dr. C.P. Thakur, said a state-of-the-art trauma centre would be soon set up at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and said 50 per cent of the seats in the new medical college, being set up at a cost of Rs 81.6 crores, would be set aside for the candidates from the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
The Jain community has proposed to meet the cost of education up to the post-graduate level for the children of the security personnel and the watch and ward staff killed in the terror attack on Parliament and to start a dharamsala in the Safdarjung Hospital.
The function was attended by the Union Minister of State for health and Family, Mr. A. Raja, and a host of dignitaries from the medical fraternity.
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