Lack of infrastructure hitting health services: PC

Bangalore, June 7 (UNI) Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said though the country had one of the best brains in medical field, lack of infrastructure was affecting effective implementation of public health services.

Speaking after inaugurating Narayana Nethralaya's Super Eye Hospital and Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology here, Mr Chidambaram said Indian doctors, nurses and paramedical staff were well known for their knowledge and efficiency but in the country 'we are yet to reach poor and downtrodden in providing good health.' ''Undoubtedly we have the best medical staff. But lack of basic facilities is denying the poor of proper medical care,'' he added.

He said the Union and State Governments do their best in setting up hospitals but 'leakages' affected health services.

There were 50 million blind people in the world due to various eye diseases of which 12 million were in India earning the country the nickname 'Blind Capital' of the world.

Fifty per cent of cataract cases were completely curable and even other eye diseases had cure. But lack of facilities was coming in the way, he felt.

MORE UNI