EDITORIAL
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Healthcare sector
Healthcare is fast becoming too expensive and increasingly out of the common
mans reach. The high cost of treatment has in turn ensured that the
advancements made in the field of medical science do not reach a significant
section of the population. The proliferation of private hospitals and nursing
homes havent exactly helped in improving the overall healthcare scene in the
State. As profit is the main overriding factor, only those who are economically
well off can avail the services of the nursing homes. Though some of the
nursing homes make tall claims about their philanthropic activities and service
to the poor patients, in most of the cases the reality is the other way round.
The perennial shortage of doctors and medicines in government-run hospitals
have made matters worse. Whether it is government-run hospitals or those in the
private sector, they fail to inspire confidence among the patients of the
region. Every day a good number of people flock to places like
Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Vellore and Hyderabad, among several other
destinations in search of quality treatment. With most of the doctors reluctant
to serve in the rural areas, the healthcare system in the State has become
urban-centric. To revitalise the ailing health sector and to put it back on the
rails, of late the State Health Department has initiated a number of measures.
The steps undertaken by the Health Department are indeed praiseworthy. With the
three existing medical colleges failing miserably to cater to the needs of the
people, the Government has decided to set up three more medical colleges at
Jorhat, Tezpur and Barpeta. Work on the Jorhat Medical College is expected to
begin within a month and it is likely to be functional by 2009. A modernisation
drive is being undertaken in Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar medical colleges.
A sum of Rs 100 crore each have been granted to the medical colleges for their
development. A number of sophisticated equipments to
help in diagnosis and treatment have already been installed in the Guwahati
Medical College and Regional Institute of Opthalmology. Investment in
Government- run health centres have become a necessity as they can provide
quality care at affordable expense. With improvement of the medical
infrastructure in the State, the Government should ensure that the economically
marginalised and deprived sections get easy access to quality healthcare
facilities. The health infrastructure should be so upgraded that the people of
the region do not feel the need to go outside the State in search of treatment.
It is hoped that in the days to come the people get to see the positive
spin-offs of the investments made in the State health sector.
(The Assam Tribune,03.03.2008)
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