The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Focus on rural health care, NGOs told

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 12, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Focus on rural health care, NGOs told

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 11. The Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has called upon voluntary and social service organisations to take up health care programmes in the rural areas, which need more attention rather than cities and towns.

'Serve have-nots'

Speaking at a seminar on `Polio Eradication' organised by the Rotary Club of Hyderabad North here on Saturday, Dr. Reddy said, "Your orientation is more towards cities and not rural areas," adding, "Please, concentrate more on rural areas and serve the have-nots."

The Government is aware of the needs of the rural poor and seeks the support of NGOs to provide better health care to the needy, he added.

Appreciating the efforts of the Rotary Clubs, Dr. Reddy said: "Unless the Government and voluntary organisations address the health needs of the poor, the country can not progress."

He said the alarming rise in polio cases over a decade ago had made the Government take a serious note of the situation. The result is the universal polio eradication programme launched on a massive scale, he said adding that much more needs to be done to completely eradicate polio from the country.

The Rotary Club of Hyderabad North president, Nageswara Sree, welcomed the gathering.

The national polio plus committee of Rotary International, Deepak Kapur, the district polio plus chairman, Anil Chawla, Rotary International District 3150 Governor, Jasthi Ranga Rao, the Rotary Foundation district 3150 chairman, Ravi Vadlamani, the Principal Secretary (Health), S. Bhale Rao, and the MCH Commissioner, Chitra Ramchandran, were present.

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