President Pranab Mukherjee calls for serious thought on health care system

KOLKATA: In the wake of rising heath cost, President Pranab Mukherjee today called for a serious thought on nature of healthcare system.

"A thought that should seriously engage our attention today is the nature of health system that we ought to have in our country - a commercial, profit-driven system or a system conversant with socio-economic conditions prevailing in our society."

Speaking at inauguration of 150-bed facility of Institute of Neuroscience, Mukherjee said an institution like this have a pivotal role.

Mukherjee said with socio-economic change effecting joint to nuclear family this caused greater dependence on private healthcare leading to higher pocket expense.

The President, who called for revamp in health insurance system to take care of special needs of the aged, underscored on greater public awareness as immunisation has been found effective in preventing neuro infection.

Mukherjee also emphasised on inexpensive intervention through primary healthcare system for many neurological disorders.

"As per reports 70 per cent of epileptic patients could be treated with Phenobarbital but 80 per cent of epileptic patients in low income countries remain untreated," he said.