Seminar on health services held

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 17

A seminar on health services in the country was organised at Virsa Vihar here on Sunday. The seminar was jointly organised by Indian Doctors for Peace and Awareness, Alliance of Doctors for Ethical Health Care, Virsa Vihar Society, Folklore Research Academy, Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh and Social Medicine Association.

The speakers expressed worries over the condition of health services, high prices of medicines and corporatisation of health delivery services. The key speaker, Dr Arun Mitra from Ludhiana, said, “Of the total cost 67 per cent is spent on medicines, while 52 per cent patients have to borrow money, take loans or have to sell something to pay for medical treatment.”

The government is helping private companies set monopoly over medicine sale to maximise their profits, added Mitra. He said that medicine manufacturing companies in the public sector were being closed to help private companies.

Dr Tejbir Singh, former principal, Government Medical College, Amritsar, said right to health should be made a fundamental right. He said that focus should be on to ensure that people did not fall sick and mere treatment to sick in no service.

Dr Karamjit Singh from Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences stressed at the judicious use of medicines and need for physical labour.