The overall health profile of country's burgeoning population projects a grim picture, Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari said today and stressed that universal access to quality health care is necessary condition for economic progress.
'A healthy population is a fundamental ingredient of inclusive development and nation building. Universal access to quality health care is not just a social imperative, it is a necessary condition for economic progress and prosperity,' said Ansari.
He was addressing golden jubilee celebrations and 51st foundation day of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here today.
The Vice President further said, 'an unhealthy population imposes enormous social and economic costs on society and hinders sustainable development.'
The government is committed to strengthen its initiatives to expand the reach of health care in order establish a system of universal health coverage in the country.
Despite making big achievements in the field of medical sciences and healthcare for providing quality healthcare, Ansari observed that the overall health profile of country's burgeoning population still projected a grim picture.
Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research has been given approval to develop a 300 and 100 bed satellite centres at Sangrur and Ferozepur respectively.
The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare said the centres were being opened to provide quality tertiary care to people living in remote areas.
The proposed 300 bed satellite centre at Sangrur could be expanded to a 500 bed facility, Azad said.
Ansari, while citing the findings of 2005 WHO study, said the estimated economic loss to India due to deaths caused by all the diseases was 1.3 per cent of its GDP.
'With an increase in the number of non-communicable diseases, this loss, if not checked, is apprehended to increase to 5 per cent of GDP by 2015,' he said.
According to Planning Commission, deaths due to non-communicable diseases alone, which already account for nearly half of all deaths, are expected to rise cumulatively and India stands to lose 237 billion USD during the decade 2005-2015, if timely interventions are not made, he said.
