Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu on February 14, 2018, said that the health outcomes can’t be achieved by the government institutions alone and the private sector health facilities have to supplement governmental efforts. He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the State-of-the-art Rainbow Children’s Hospital here. Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
The Vice President said that the childhood malnutrition continues to be a serious public health concern and a development challenge in India. He said that with under five mortality rate in India at 43 per 1,000 live births, Infant Mortality Rate at 34 per 1,000 live births and Neonatal Mortality Rates at 25 per 1,000 live births, it is estimated that 10.8 lakh under five children die annually. The major causes of child mortality in India include prematurity and low birth weight, pneumonia and diarrheal diseases, among others, he added, according to a PIB release.
The Vice President said that there has to be a greater health awareness and health-seeking behavior among people. The new National Health Protection Scheme can potentially make a huge difference in the lives of the poor impacting both their physical as well as economic well being, he added.
The Vice President said that while there is a need for setting up more specialized children’s hospitals, the private sector must ensure that the treatment provided by them is not only accessible but also affordable.
The Vice President congratulated Dr Ramesh Kancharla and his partners for starting Rainbow Hospitals exclusively for children with state-of-the-art treatment facilities in New Delhi. He expressed hope that Rainbow Children’s Hospital will continue its noble mission of providing specialized care to children and contribute to the larger national mission of ensuring all infants survive and thrive, growing up into healthy, active citizens of new India we all are aspiring for.