The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : People's campaign needed to improve hygiene: Chidambaram

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 17, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

People's campaign needed to improve hygiene: Chidambaram

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, NOV. 16. The Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, has called for a people's campaign to improve public hygiene, which is inextricably linked with public health.

Environmental pollution and poor public hygiene are the major causes for the spread of diseases.

The unhygienic conditions, especially in urban areas, are a shame, he said inaugurating the Kaveri Medical Centre Cancer Institute here on Monday.

While there has been a welcome demand from rural women for public conveniences, it is not so in the urban areas.

Service tax

Referring to the debate over service tax, Mr. Chidambaram said the industry sector alone could not be forced to carry the entire tax burden.

The country would move towards a more efficient taxation regime over the next few years through a national Goods and Services Tax.

On the "expectations" over reduction in personal income tax, he said the rates could come down only if compliance improved.

Plea to reduce duty

M.S. Ashraf, former vice-president of the Indian Medical Association, requested the Minister to reduce the import duty on medical equipment and drugs.

About 70 per cent of the country's health delivery system was taken care of by the private sector, he said.

The Managing Director of the KMC Medical Centre, S. Chandrakumar, said the hospital had been started with 40 beds. Now, it had 200 beds with superspeciality disciplines.

The Cancer Institute would focus on creating awareness on prevention and early detection. It would offer free consultation to poor cancer patients every Thursday.

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