Date:19/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/19/stories/2008081954750500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Proposal to introduce medical diploma course after Class 10

Special Correspondent

It will help meet the medical needs of rural areas: Minister

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Health for all: Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri (right) and Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda (second from right) interacting with children at the Suvarna Arogya Chaitanya programme in Bangalore on Monday.

Bangalore: The proposal to introduce a three-year medical diploma course after Class 10, on the lines of the old Licensed Medical Practitioner (LMP) course, will be put before the Cabinet soon to meet the primary medical needs of the rural population, said Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda.

Speaking at the inauguration of “Suvarna Argoya Chaitanya Programme- 2008”, for the healthcare of schoolchildren from Class 1 to 10 here on Monday, Mr. Gowda said that there is a strong pro-urban bias in access to medical care.

He said that 76 per cent of medical professionals serve 20 per cent of the population concentrated in urban areas, while the remaining 24 per cent take care of 80 per cent of the population. Of the 45,000 medical practitioners in Karnataka, only 7,000 are government doctors, he added.

One crore covered

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri said that the programme, in the third year of its implementation, is being conducted by the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Health. This year, one crore students in government, aided and unaided schools will be covered under the programme. Mr. Kageri urged parents and School Development Monitoring Committee (SDMC) members to ensure that all students benefit from the programme.

The programme will be on till the end of September this year. The progress of the health of the students will be entered in a card which will be valid until the child finishes Class 10.

Government will cover the cost of treatment of children diagnosed with health problems, including serious heart ailments. As many as 118 children have been given surgical treatment in hospitals identified under Yashaswini network so far.