'Medical facilities should reach poor, needy'

Dehra Dun, May 30 : Stressing on the necessity of making available medical facilities to the downtrodden, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat here today said any service that caters to only the upper classes but fails to benefit people below the poverty line cannot be termed successful.

After inaugurating the first ever Indian Medical Association Blood Bank of Uttaranchal under public-private partnership here, Mr Shekhawat said, ''It is very important that any project initiated by either public or private sector should bring under its ambit of benefits the underpriviledged people.'' Mr Shekhawat further said that Indian Medical Association (IMA) should not only provide blood but also medicines to the poor and needy. Emphasising the setting up of trusts to provide free medicines to the poor, he said one should not look towards government for initiation of such works but private sectors too could come forward for such a noble cause.

He urged the state Chief Minister to give a serious thought on setting up artificial limb centres in the state as it had the largest population of servicemen.

Announcing Rs 4 crore for the blood Bank, Chief Minister N D Tiwari said the work to set up blood banks in various other places in the state was going on at a good pace.

Other dignitaries present on the occasion included state Governor Sudarshan Agarwal, IMA National President Dr Ajay Kumara and state Health Minister Tilak Raj Behad.

UNI