President Pranab Mukherjee lamented the lack of healthcare infrastructure and personnel in the country, particularly in the rural area. After laying the foundation stone for a super speciality hospital in Udupi in Karnataka, Mr. Mukherjee said creating better health infrastructure through investments has helped cure many diseases, but there remains a huge gap yet.
The President said, the country requires not only accessible but affordable medical facilities. He said against the international norm of a doctor per thousand population, we have one doctor for 1,700 people in our country and no civilised society can tolerate the gap.
The President suggested the situation requires increasing the number of medical colleges and engagement of corporate sector, especially in the rural area. He asked people to think about the kind of healthcare system they want – a commercial, profit-driven one or a system compatible with the socio-economic conditions of the society. The president also condemned attacks on doctors, medical staff and vandalism of health institutions.