Kerala   

People-oriented health policy from March in Kerala

Staff Reporter

Priority to health sector in Five-Year Plan: Achuthanandan

ALAPPUZHA: The Kerala Government will implement a people-oriented health policy, and the Five Year Plan that begins in March will give top priority to the health sector, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said here on Sunday. He was here to inaugurate the shifting of key departments of the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital to the newly-constructed buildings near the Vandanam campus.

He said the aim of the new health policy was to provide free treatment to all people below the poverty line within five years. "It is more important to create a disease-free environment than take steps to provide treatment after epidemics break out," he said.

He said emphasis would be laid on providing potable water to all, creating a pollution-free environment and ensuring proper sanitation.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the cooperation of various departments of the Government and different sections of society was essential in making the new health policy a success. The functioning of Government hospitals should be made more effective.

He called upon young doctors to join the Government service. They should show commitment towards society. He blamed the previous UDF Government for the ills in the public health system. The recent outbreak of chikungunya was the result of the neglect of the public health system by the UDF Government.

Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, who inaugurated a new nursing college affiliated to the medical college, said the idea of handing over the health security of the people to insurance companies was not acceptable. The public health system in the State was most effective and cheap. The health sector in the U.S. where insurance companies played a pivotal role was found to be very expensive. The emphasis of the present Government would be to strengthen the public health system in the State.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

People-oriented health policy from March in Kerala
Trucks, buses to keep off road on Thursday
A predictable tale of violence
Propaganda meeting
Banking on one another

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu