Southern States - Pondicherry   

Dependence on imports, a snag in health care delivery: Kalam

By S. Nadarajan

The President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, inaugurating the Aravind Eye Hospital at Abhishegapakkam near Pondicherry on Friday. Looking on (from left) are the Pondicherry Health Minister, E. Valsaraj, the Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, the Lt. Governor, K. R. Malkani, and the hospital chairman, G. Venkataswamy (sitting). - Photo: T. Singaravelou

Pondicherry Feb. 21. A major problem in the Indian health care delivery system, including in ophthalmology, is the near-total dependence on imports of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, the President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, said today.

Every year medical devices and equipment worth over Rs. 3,000 crores were imported.

While the common man seldom bought imported products, he was made to purchase or pay partly for the cost of the equipment.

This showed "we need to create an infrastructure capable of producing our own devices, consumables and equipment" at affordable cost, Dr. Kalam said, declaring open the Aravind Eye Care Hospital at Abishegapakkan near here.

The President, who spoke for in Tamil for a few minutes and later read the English text, said 30 per cent of the country's population lived below the poverty line and medical care had to be provided to a large population.

"We have the best doctors and technologists in India. We have core competence in design and software engineering. Emerging technologies in virtual reality and micro machines will transform the health care scenario.

This transformation should lead to helping the people who could not afford modern medical care. If we remove the pain, then God will bless us".

A health care technology vision document evolved a few years ago, as part of Technology Vision 2020, said at least 20 million people in India's one-billion population were blind, while 25 millions were visually impaired.

Population growth, coupled with increased life expectancy, could lead to an increase in the number of the visually impaired.

Fast track treatment

The President said a national mission for fast track treatment methods should be evolved, involving mission-oriented doctors. There should be a series of eye camps, reinforced with more hospitals with the technology to increase the treated population. India already had a national programme for control of blindness and also Vision 2020: the Right to sight initiative (Global).

Highlighting the need for service-orientation in the sector,

The President complimented the Aravind Eye Hospital and its chairman, G. Venkataswamy, on bringing together multiple institutions and serving large sections through units in Madurai, Theni, Tirunelveli and Coimbatore.

The Pondicherry Lt. Governor, K R Malkani; the Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, and the Health Minister, E. Valsaraj, said the hospital was self-supporting and self-sufficient and thus set a model for other institutions. Dr. Venkataswamy said the hospital provided high quality eye health care and most of the services were available to the poor free of cost.

G. Natchiar, joint director, presented a report focussing on the hospital's services.

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