Adopt indegenous technology to make healthcare more affordable:Kalam

Mysore Apr 8 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today called for applications of the indigenous technology to make healhcare more affordable to poorer section of the society.

Inaugurating the Rs Eight crore Linear Accelerator Centre at the JSS-Bharat Charitable Trust here, he said that the integrated treatment for all types of diseases was the need of the hour.

Referring a multi-institutional study recently conducted by the Bangalore Cancer Research Foundation and the DRDO with the participation of Defence Institute of Psychological Research, Mr Kalam said that the perceived stress of the patients would be influenced by the social support he receives in fighting the disease.

Mr Kalam pointed out that three of his friends who were fighting blood cancer undaunted with the presence of a disease of poor morbidity in their bodies were relentlessly pursuing life while getting social support. ''The patient was so confident that he was fighting the disease like a gladiator and he would ultimately defeat it.'' He said that after seeing their experience it was realised that the life of a cancer patient was nothing but a process of adjustment to a disease that at times was in remission and at other times active. The medical practitioners could take a lead from the experience of these three patients who were relentlessly fighting the blood cancer, in advising their patients.

Mr Kalam said that he himself with Prof Kakrla Subba Rao worked together in many projects that would be useful for rural people.

One of the project of society for Biomedical Technology of DRDO named TUALSI, Mass screening of cervical cancer was undertaken by the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences and Deccan College of Medical Sciences more than 50 camps in tribal and rural areas as well as in the urban slums had been conducted and screened women for Cervical cancer.

He said that though TULASI project succeeded in creating awareness about the causes for cervical cancer an effective follow-up and treatment system was yet to be established. ''The JSS Bharath Charitable Trust could consider such screening methods among the population of Mysore district which would enable early detection leading to finding early solution'', he suggested.

Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi, Karnataka Cooperative minister Mr G T Deve Gowda and the pontiff of the Suttur Mutt Deshikendra Swamiji were also present on the occasion.

UNI