Adopt schools, counsel students on preventive healthcare: Vice Prez to medical fraternity

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called upon medical fraternity to adopt schools in their respective neighbourhood and counsel the students about preventive healthcare.

Inaugurating MGM Healthcare here, Naidu pointed out that modern lifestyle changes were aggravating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and asked medical fraternity, including private hospitals and other institutions to reach out to schools and colleges and create awareness among the students on the dangers of lifestyle diseases.

The Vice President urged doctors, actors and media houses to adopt professional social responsibility on the lines of corporate social responsibility to create awareness among people on the need to avoid physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary habits.

Quoting World Health Organisation's data released in 2017, Naidu observed that about 61 per cent of deaths in the country were attributed to NCDs, including heart disorders, cancer, and diabetes.

He said that there was an urgent need to establish NCD clinics in both urban and rural areas and the private sector must play a prominent role in setting up such clinics.

The Vice President urged hospitals like MGM Healthcare to step in and complement the efforts of the government in reaching modern healthcare facilities to the rural areas, including the remote places.

Expressing concern over the shortage of around 600,000 doctors and two million nurses, he said: "Both private and public sector should join hands to remedy the situation and also suggested the setting up of more medical colleges, hospitals and health infrastructure that can deliver affordable diagnostic and treatment services to the people.