Make specialised healthcare affordable: Azad

Srinagar, Jun 2 (UNI) Expressing concern over a huge section of the society being deprived of the benefits of the new technologies, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said ''making specialized healthcare affordable'' should be the top priority.

He called upon private sector in the healthcare field to be socially responsible and ponder over the high cost being charged for medical facilities.

''Success of the new medical techniques should be judged not by their innovation but by the reach and affordability in large chunk of population,'' he added.

Inaugurating Mid-Term Twin Conference-cum-Workshop of Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endo-Surgeons and North Zone Urological Society of India here last evening, Mr Azad said though the medical science had touched new heights but the new surgical procedures remained confined to a very small section of population while rest of the people continued to be deprived of the benefits of new technologies.

The Chief Minister underlined the need for establishing regional training centres in the state to train surgeons in these sophisticated procedures, adding that the Health and Medical Education department should consider this aspect so that a trained manpower could be made available for such surgeries in rural areas as well.

Mr Azad said government had already taken a bold initiative to promote multi-specialty hospitals in the state under public private partnership.

''I am happy to know that two major chains of corporate hospitals in the country- Fortis and Apollo- have shown keen interest in establishment of such hospitals in the state and we are evaluating their proposals'', he said adding that as per terms and conditions these hospitals were required to give free quality patient care services to the poor to the extent of 20 per cent to 25 per cent of their total bed strength.

He also underlined the need for strengthening health institutions at district, tehsil, block and village levels to upgrade healthcare facilities and cater to the requirements of people.

Proposals were made for 200 to 300 bedded hospitals at the district level, 100 bedded hospitals at the tehsil level and 30 bedded hospitals at the block level to strengthen the healthcare facility in all the 140 blocks of the state, he said.

UNI