Healthcare in India still a work in progress: President Patil

Patil, on Sunday, called upon the medical fraternity to formulate a comprehensive strategy to combat the threat arising from lifestyle diseases.

Healthcare in India a work in progress, feels President
Inaugurating the 1,500-bed Seven Hills Hospital, listed as one of the largest private sector health care facility in Asia, the President said lifestyle-related ailments like diabetes and heart diseases, with their negative impact on economic output, merited a multi-pronged strategy for preventive measures.

“Good health parameters of a society are an absolute necessity for the economic progress... For India, a country with the second largest population in the world, we can realise our demographic dividend only if we empower our citizens,” Ms. Patil told reporters after inaugurating the hospital in sub-urban Andheri.

“Since our independence we have achieved some success in the healthcare sector like increase in life expectancy and eradication of some endemic diseases. However, it is still a work in progress.

“We are yet to reach the goal of health for all...access and affordability of healthcare for underprivileged and marginalised sections, in particular women and children, remain unaccomplished tasks,” President Patil added.

She further said, “Penetration of health services in rural areas is particularly low.”

President Patil is on a two-day visit in Mumbai.

India might become the diabetic capital of the world
Sketching a grim picture of dangers posed by lifestyle diseases, Patil said that, as per WHO predictions, there would be 80 million diabetes patients in the country by 2030.

“WHO has cautioned that India would be diabetes capital of the world,” Ms.Patil said.

Studies have shown that the high incidence of diabetes in India is mainly because of sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, obesity, stress, and consumption of diets rich in fat, sugar, and calories.

According to the Cardiological Society of India, there would be 100 million cardiac patients--60 percent of the total cardiac patients in the world--in India by 2020.

Citing WHO estimate, Patil said this would cost about USD335 billion over the next ten years.

“This is a large economic cost to the nation. Special attention should be given to women and children. In our country, one woman dies every 7 minutes due to child birth complications,” the President said.

The function was attended by Maharashtra governor K Sankaranarayanan, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, and Mayor Shraddha Jadhav.