Chennai (PTI): Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday said provision of health care in private hospitals should be made affordable to the public.

"The cost of treatment in our country is the lowest in the world and private hospitals should keep it that way," he said at the inauguration of Apollo Reach Hospitals here.

Private hospitals should ensure quality health care without increasing the cost of the treatment.

"There should be a provision for taking treatment to all sections of public and people like Pratap C Reddy (Chairman of Apollo Hospitals) should ensure that the cost of treatment does not go up in future," he said.

Talking about the National Rural Health Mission, he said NRHM had been accepted by World Health Organisaion (WHO) and the same pattern being implemented in several countries.

India had two success stories - one NRHM leading to a silent revolution in the country on account of its success and the other by way of decrease in the number of HIV/AIDS cases. "In the last three years, we were able to reduce HIV/AIDS in the country", he said.

He said that the Centre had proposed to increase the budget layout for the sector in the 11th Five Year Plan.

"Under 10th Five Year Plan a sum of Rs 42,000 crore was allotted and as per the 11th Five Year Plan, the Centre has proposed to increase it to Rs 1,42,000 crore" he said, adding a lot of rural health programmes would be taken up considering the economically deprived sections of the society.