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Use telemedicine to reach the masses: Kalam

Special Correspondent

Satellite to promote interaction among youth by 2007; to be built jointly by India and Russia

EXCHANGING IDEAS: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam shares his thoughts with the students of Gokulam Medical College, near Thiruvananthapuram, on Sunday. Photo: S. Mahinsha

VENJARAMOODU: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam took on the role of the teacher during an interaction with first-year MBBS students of the Sree Gokulam Medical College & Research Foundation here after he dedicated the institution to the student community at a function here on Sunday evening.

He answered a volley of questions from some 50-odd students with elan after delivering a talk on the topic, `Towards a disease-free India.' Telemedicine is very important for the country now as a number of hospitals could be connected, he pointed out.

A group of specialists could sit at one place on a specific day, receive data through satellite channels and give advice on what type of treatment could be given to a patient in a remote rural area. "It should become part of your syllabus; I want to advise the Medical Board to make it a chapter," he said.

`Brain drain'

Regarding tackling the problem of "brain drain," Mr. Kalam said enough opportunities should be created for doctors here. With cardiac problems, HIV and water-borne diseases on the rise, the country would need a large number of doctors by the year 2020.

The PURA (Provision Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) project to provide physical, electronic and knowledge connectivity between villages would help reinforce medical staff continuously with the knowledge and data they needed, he said.

One student asked Mr. Kalam which was more important for youths to excel in life — dedication, determination or discipline. Pat came the answer, "We need all these three qualities to excel, not just one; besides, you have to add one more — acquisition of knowledge."

Sufficient manpower

What did the President feel is the biggest hurdle to achieving his Vision 2020 objectives? Mr. Kalam said that if there were hurdles, there was a simple solution: the confidence that "I can do it!".

The country had the kind of people, the resources and the mission to achieve the targets. "Young people should say, `we can do it'. Old people do not matter," he added.

The President said the medical students should first of all make up their minds whether they wanted to go in for clinical practice or research. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that a "youth satellite" would be put into orbit by 2007, he said.

The satellite would be built jointly by India and Russia and would become a transmitter of ideas by promoting interaction among youth wordwide. The payload for the satellite would be contributed by Indian students.

The final question was, "Gandhiji was popularly known as Bapuji, and Nehru as Chachaji; what would you like to be known as?" Quick came the President's answer, "As Kalam". The President read out a pledge of courage to the students and complemented Afzal, a visually challenged youth who scored music for a lyric composed by Mr. Kalam. He also contributed a set of books to the college library

Eager to elicit questions from the students, Mr. Kalam chided the programme compere when he felt she was coming in between him and the students. He was visibly annoyed when the hand-held microphone gave trouble while being passed from student to student. "You will have to get them a good mike," he told the Gokulam Trust chairman Gokulam Gopalan.

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