The Hindu Business Line : Rural health, population control to get top priority: Anbumani

IMPROVING rural health facilities and bringing them on a par with developed countries is the top most priority of the new Union Health Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss.

Speaking to newspersons after taking charge of his office, Dr Ramadoss said that poverty alleviation and health go together and a holistic view would have to be taken. He said that the rural health would have to be improved and so should the benefits to senior citizens. "The medical education system must be slightly revamped so that doctors serve the rural areas," Dr Ramadoss said. One option could be that serving in rural India for a short period of time could be made compulsory.

Another area that would be focussed on is population control. Dr Ramadoss said emphasis should have been laid on population control long time ago and that his department would give it priority. Special attention in this regard would be on Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh, he added. The Health Ministry would also give priority to the Indian system of medicines such as Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani .

However, on various policies and programmes initiated by Ms Sushma Swaraj during her term as Health Minister would be reviewed by the new Government. "Issues such as setting up of six AIIMS-like institutes and other AIDS-related programmes, will be reviewed. If the policies are good we will continue them," Dr Ramadoss said.