Ansari for provision of quality healthcare to all

While provision of universal access to healthcare is in itself a noble objective, there are enormous costs involved which can be saved by providing preventive and curative healthcare, he said on the occasion of Foundation Day of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences here.

Ansari said it was important to provide access to affordable and quality healthcare towards attainment of the larger goal of inclusive socio-economic development in the country.

Quoting a report of the Planning Commission's Working Group on Disease Burden for the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), he said losses because of premature deaths only due to non-communicable diseases are projected to increase cumulatively and India stands to lose USD 237 billion during 2005-15.

He said India also loses a substantial number of lives during the productive years of its citizens.

Ansari also cited a WHO report which estimates that a 2 per cent annual reduction in national-level chronic disease death rates in India would result in an economic gain of USD 15 billion for the country over the next 10 years.

He said modelling studies have shown that the per-capita income in India would increase by 87 per cent if only the cardio-vascular mortality rate per annum declines by one per cent whereas a three per cent annual decline would increase per-capita income by 218 per cent by 2030.

In her speech, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit complimented the institute for its achievement in performing liver and kidney transplants.

She suggested that the ILBS launch Mobile Van facility to for rural areas in the capital. "If you can do that, we will support you in this. Not many people know about the importance of liver. So if we can have mobile vans going around, people can get their liver checked," she said.

Dikshit announced that the Delhi Government would sponsor an endowment chair at the institute.

ILBS Director Dr S K Sarin said the Institute would strive towards betterment and fulfil aspirations of patients and the medical fraternity.