Health manifesto from IMA handed over to political parties

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has decided to support those political parties which promise to keep 5% of the total outlay of the country’s budget for the health sector. At present the Centre is proving only 1.2% of the total outlay for the health sector, says the health manifesto prepared by the state chapter of the IMA. This manifesto was released here and was handed over to all the three major political parties.
In the health manifesto, the IMA has put forward seven major demands before the political parties.Increase public expenditure in health, universal health coverage through public funding, PPP facilitated by not for profit institutions, emphasis on primary health care and rural health care, structured universal three-tier reference system, no criminalisation of medical profession and quality public funded medical education governed by autonomous democratic regulation.
The manifesto demands an increase in number of Primary Health Centres to focus on preventive and primary health care. One sub-center for every 10,000 population in urban and semi urban areas, 5,000 in rural areas and 3,000 in hilly and tribal areas are the requirement. Improve infrastructure and total manpower in sub-centres, reconceive wellness centre concept and wellness centres if at all established should be manned by MBBS graduates.
Blatant privatisation of medical education sector has to be restricted. The government cannot withdraw from the responsibility of imparting education. Now the medical colleges are allotted haphazardly without a scientific state based assessment of need. This has brought in a gross mal distribution of institutions in the country. As per a report 60% of the medical colleges are located in areas inhabited by 30% of the population. The mechanism of fee regulation in medical college is also inefficient. Hence meritorious students find it difficult to pursue medical education. There should be adequate steps to increase the number of government medical colleges, says the manifesto.