Venkaiah Naidu highlights urgent need to address workforce shortage in healthcare sector

On Monday, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu emphasised the importance of addressing the medical profession's workforce shortage. The COVID-19 pandemic, he said, has emphasised the need for India's health infrastructure to be expanded at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The Vice President expressed his delight that India is on track to achieve the WHO-recommended ratio of one doctor per 1,000 people by 2024 while interacting with medical students and teachers at Siddhartha Medical College in Vijayawada.

VP Venkaiah Naidu also praised the commencement of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, which aims to strengthen India's crucial healthcare network from rural to national level over the next four to five years. He counselled aspiring medical graduates to treat their patients with a human touch, claiming that the medical profession has become increasingly commercialised over time.

"Medical profession is one of the noblest professions and all of you should always remain committed to the Hippocrates Oath. Never deviate from the righteous path and maintain the highest ethical and moral standards," he said.

VP Naidu highlights urgent need to address workforce shortage in medical profession

Naidu emphasised the importance of fully leveraging India's strengths in the IT sector, calling for the promotion of public-private partnerships (PPP) in a variety of fields, including the establishment of telemedicine access in rural areas. He believes that telemedicine would enable a reduction in costs and improve access in rural India and that the recently announced Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will aid in the creation of the essential ecosystem for delivering an effective and inclusive universal health coverage. Due to a dearth of staff in rural areas, the Vice President proposed making rural service mandatory before handing government doctors their first promotion.

The VP also recognised the importance of offering incentives and improving housing and other infrastructure to attract more doctors to rural areas. Concerned about the high levels of out-of-pocket health spending, Naidu emphasised the importance of making healthcare affordable and accessible to all. In this regard, he emphasised the importance of increasing government investment in health care.

"At the same time, I would urge the private players in the health sector to join hands with the government in providing affordable state-of-the-art treatment modalities to the people," he added.

VP Naidu emphasises precautionary measures for future diseases

Referring to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Naidu urged the medical community to be prepared to deal with any future disease by focusing more on emerging disease research. He also praised the doctors, scientists, and all frontline workers for their commitment and selflessness in saving lives and preventing COVID-19 transmission. He expressed his delight at the increase in economic activity since the COVID-19 pandemic started, but advised everyone to be vigilant and follow COVID-related measures until the situation returns to normal. Naidu drew attention to the alarming trend of rising Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and asked for a concerted effort by all stakeholders to reverse the trend. He counselled the young doctors to not only live a healthy and balanced lifestyle but also to inspire others to do so.

"We cannot act recklessly and invite another wave. I am sure that as those associated with the medical profession, all of you will create greater awareness on this issue among the people," he said.

Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission goals and scope 

The Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission aims to ensure that both urban and rural areas have a solid public health infrastructure capable of responding to public health emergencies or disease outbreaks. The Prime Minister, in the presence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Anandiben Patel, and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated 9 medical colleges from Siddharthnagar ahead of the mission's inauguration. The Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, which is part of the National Health Mission, will fund 17,788 rural Health and Wellness Centres in 10 'high focus' states and create 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centres across the country in order to improve accessibility. Through ‘Exclusive Critical Care Hospital Blocks,' it will ensure access to critical care services in all districts in the country with a population of over five lakh people. According to the PMO's statement, the other districts will be served through referral services. In addition, integrated public health labs will be established in all districts, providing individuals with access to a broad spectrum of diagnostic services through a nationwide network of laboratories.

With inputs from ANI

(IMAGE: PTI)