56 per cent of the country cannot spend money on healthcare

Hyderabad: Dr V Chandramowli Memorial lecture on 'Universal health care: A Model' delivered by Dr G Nageswara Rao, Founder and Chairman, L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad.

In his speech, Dr Rao defined universal health care as ensuring equitable access for all Indian citizens to affordable, accountable, appropriate health services of assured quality (Promotive, curative and rehabilitative).

He spoke about comprehensive care and highlighted how we are performing in this area. As per him, our performance is below par in respective of promotion, and prevention, patchy in curative and very poor in respect of rehabilitation.

By many measures, the world has never been in better health. Yet, the gap between this progress and medicine's still greater potential has perhaps never been wider. At least half the world is without access to what the World Health Organisation deems essential. 56 per cent of the country cannot spend money on healthcare. Blindness is a major healthcare problem.

Dr Nirmalya Bagchi, Director General (I/c), ASCI, welcomed and introduced the speaker Dr G Nageswara Rao, K Padmanabhaiah, IAS (Retd), Chairman-CoG, ASCI, gave opening remarks and presented the memento to the guest speaker. Dr P Nagabhushanam, President of Essential Medical Services, proposed a vote of thanks.