The Hindu : Govt. draws flak for poor health services

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 18, 2002

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Govt. draws flak for poor health services

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH 17. A Parliamentary committee has come down strongly on the Government for not taking adequate measures to provide hassle-free services in Government hospitals and has suggested several measures to rectify the situation.

In a report tabled in Parliament recently, the committee has pointed out that though the administration claimed to have put in place several facilities, they were more on paper than on the ground. The panel has particularly expressed dismay that reports continue to pour in about critical equipment not being maintained properly or lying un-utilised, despite claims that there were mechanisms to avoid this problem. "Instances of precious lives being lost due to some vital equipment being non-functional continue to occur on a regular basis''.

Likewise, it has pointed out that in spite of claims that the system of treatment had been streamlined, one had to have the right connections to get proper care. "Reality is that only those patients, whose attendants can manage some reference at the right place get the best medicine'', it noted.

In its recommendations, the panel has called for more effective monitoring and said surprise inspections by authorities at the top level could prove to be more effective. Meanwhile, the Union Health Minister, C.P. Thakur, has proposed to call on the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, in the coming week to protest the "raw deal'' for the health sector in the budget proposal.

According to sources, Dr. Thakur would bring to the attention of Mr. Vajpayee that even while the budget for the Department of Health has been increased only by about five per cent, several fiscal measures such as tax exemptions and relief proposed to help ayurveda and other indigenous systems of medicine to effectively tap the growing international market for non-allopathic drugs, have not found a place in the budget.

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