Medical education should be accessible to all

[sajiv]

MANGALORE: Albert Tauro, chairman and managing director of Vijaya Bank has called for a reduction in the cost of medical education and making it accessible to all.

He was speaking at a seminar on "The economics of healthcare in Indian scenario" organised at Fr Muller's Medical College here on Sunday, as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Stating that only two per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) was being used for healthcare services, Mr. Tauro said the high cost of medical education had prevented many eligible students from pursuing it. Coming in the context of the global economic crisis and recession, the workshop aimed at finding alternate sources of financing medical facilities as well as education.

Documentary
A documentary "Legacy of a legend", tracing the growth of Fr Muller's hospital since its humble beginning, was screened at the beginning of the programme. Fr. Denis D'Sa said the hospital "still remains a poor man's home". S. Kantha, former Vice-Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and a representative the MCI for the programme, who inaugurated it, said the Government should extend more support in improving health care services to people. Medical professionals should change their attitude towards the poor, she added.

Patrick Rodrigues, director of Fr Muller's Charitable Institutions, S. Chandrasekhar Shetty, Vice-Chancellor of Sri Devraj Urs University, Kolar, and Satish Jigajinni, Vice-Chancellor of BLDE University, Bijapur, were present.