Six more All India Institutes of Medical Sciences will soon be set up to ramp up health facilities in six states -- Orissa, Bihar, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Speaking at a sectoral meeting on the second day of the 2nd Pravasi Bharatiya Divas fete in New Delhi on Saturday, Union Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said: "This is a major initiative of the government and will go a long way in bringing quality healthcare to six states that need it."
AIIMS, Delhi, which enjoys an iconic status in India's rather poor healthcare infrastructure, was set up in 1956.
The sectoral meeting themed 'Health care -- Making India a Competitive Destination' was chaired by Dr Sharad Lakhanpal, president, American Association of the Physicians of Indian Origin.
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Swaraj did not read the written speech she had brought with her and said she would like this to be target-oriented discussion and invited speakers to come out with concrete suggestions.
"When I leave this room let me carry with me suggestions that we can translate into policy initiatives. When we meet next year, we will not discuss how we can make India a competitive destination in health care it will be a competitive destination," the minister said.
Dr Sadasivan in his speech invited Indian doctors and corporates to build a partnership with Singapore and Dr Lakhanpal made an audio-visual presentation showcasing AAPI's work in some of the most backward areas of India.
From the delegates, Avtar Singh Sandhu, who runs the Arc Hospital in Gurgaon, was the first to take the floor.
Making a case for improving hygiene in Indian hospitals, he said: "How can we maintain high hygienic standards in hospitals here when the workers responsible for this do not adhere to these standards personally? They are not tested for TB or AIDS. They do not report if they have flu or cold. We must make sure that patients do not contract diseases that they did not come to a hospital with."
He also said he was saddened by the poor ethics of Indian doctors. "Doctors here want commissions. They ask patients to undergo excessive diagnostic tests," Sandhu said.
Curian of Raheja Hospital wanted to know in what areas of health the government wanted to make India a competitive destination. "There is a whole range of health facilities we can offer, so what is our target?" he asked.
Ministers running out of time to answer questions have been a common theme of the PBD fete so far. Saturday was no different. Swaraj left the meeting midway to join her Bharatiya Janata Party colleagues in Hyderabad for the party's executive, which begins on Sunday.
If she carried with her ideas that can be translated into policy is not known. She did leave her deputy to attend the rest of the discussion. Maybe she would seek an update after she returns from Hyderabad.
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