MYSORE: Healthcare is an expensive affair in India. But it is commendable that we have taken great strides in the sector, said N R Narayana Murthy, chairman-emeritus, Infosys, addressing the 20th graduation day celebration of JSS Medical College on Friday.
Addressing future doctors on the country’s medical advances, Murthy said that stated that the country has made commendable progress in health care. Maternal mortality rate has decreased drastically from 1,300 in the 1950s to 200 in 2010, malarial cases have come down to less than 2 million while there have been no reported cases of polio in the country in the last two years. Quality health professionals, advances in technology and reduced costs have boosted medical tourism, he added.
Comparing the amount spent on healthcare developed countries like US and UK with that of India, he said that US spend 8pc of its GDP on healthcare, UK spends around 14pc while India spend only just 4pc. UK has 3.4 beds per 1000 people and US has 3 beds while India has 0.9beds.
Healthcare is an expensive affair in India. India’s per capita out-of-pocket expenditure to pay for healthcare costs has gone up by 65pc from 2005 to 2010, he added.
Stating that there is a requirement of 7 lakh doctors by 20125 to reach the ratio of one medical per 1,000 individuals, he said that the number of doctors actually registered in India is only around 8 lakh as on March 2011, he added.
Calling on future doctors to work to address the inequities of healthcare system in the country, he listed the challenges they face like poor accessibility to medical facilities in rural regions, availability of well-qualified medical professionals in adequate numbers and lack of financial inclusion.
About 148 students graduated on the occasion. Dr Shasthara P received seven gold medals and cash prize for securing the highest marks in 13 subjects out of 14. Dr Neha Mohan Rao received the M B Parameshwari memorial gold medal for securing the highest marks in pediatrics. Post graduate students Dr Sanjeev Kumar N and Dr Amar DN received gold medals for the highest marks in MD general medicine and MS general surgery respectively.
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