Kalam for creating affordable, effective healthcare system

James Paul
29 September 2003

Kochi: Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam stressed the need for creating a healthcare system that is both affordable and effective.

This vision needs to be developed into multi-organisational missions leading to the generation of hundreds of goal-oriented projects, he said delivering the IXth convocation address of the National Board of Examinations (NBE), an autonomous body under the union ministry of health for teaching and training in post-graduate and post-doctoral medical education.

Kalam said these projects have to be supported and nurtured by our industry and philanthropic organisations besides by the government.

On the challenges of the medical science, he said interfacing between medical science, electronics, material science, bio-science, biotechnology and engineering has given rise to techniques both investigative and curative and has provided the research workers with numerous tools to apply into the working of various physiological functions right up to molecular levels.

Kalam also called for redesigning and transforming the country''s healthcare system under an action plan giving prime focus in areas like prevention, diagnostics and treatment. A nation, he said, becomes great not because a few people were great but because every one in the nation is great by his/her performance.

The challenge in the mission for the developed India calls for important cohesive and focused efforts of the young. For achieving this, the rural India should have physical, electronic, knowledge and economic connectivity, Kalam added.