Healthcare expansion in India still work in progress: President

Citing WHO’s grim predictions about medical challenges before the country, President Pratibha Patil said the expansion of healthcare facilities in India was still a “work in progress“.

“Good health parameters of a society are an absolute necessity for the economic progress... For India, a country with the second largest population in the world, we can realise our demographic dividend only if we empower our citizens,” Ms. Patil told reporters after inaugurating Seven Hills hospital in suburban Andheri this morning.

One way of empowerment was providing adequate health facilities, she added.

“Since our independence we have achieved some success in the healthcare sector like increase in life expectancy and eradication of some endemic diseases. However, it is still a work in progress. We are yet to reach the goal of health for all... access and affordability of healthcare for underprivileged and marginalised sections, in particular women and children, remain unaccomplished tasks,” Ms. Patil, who is on a two—day visit here, said, adding “penetration of health services in rural areas is particularly low.”

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