Opinion
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Letters to the Editor
A shame
Sir, — The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, while speaking at a conference of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, informed the audience of the number of children dying every minute of various diseases, including pneumonia. He also gave alarming figures of children suffering from malnutrition.
It is a shame that even after 54 years of Independence the Government had to admit to such a dismal state in the area of child health. What is even more shocking is the Government's response to the situation, which in this case is to seek a World Bank aid of Rs. 800 crores.
Research papers and official documents have shown that only a small percentage of multilateral aid reaches the intended beneficiaries, and as such cannot be a solution to the problem.
Have we become so poor a nation that we need external funds to ensure the good health of children? What is needed is a firm political will to ensure that `health for all' is made a reality and a fundamental right.
The Minister himself said that only 0.9 per cent of the total Budget was being allotted for health programmes. It is encouraging that the Government is planning to unveil a health policy.
The policy should make it clear that health is a fundamental right and that it would provide enough fiscal and legal support to make this a reality.
Naveen Thomas,
Bangalore
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