Develop traditional medicine, use of IT for healthcare: Prez

Saying that India is known as the land of healing, President Pranab Mukherjee today called for an exploration of the country's traditional healthcare with a view to finding cures for new-age ailments.
He also stressed on the need for using information technology with a view to providing healthcare through mobile phones.
Remote healthcare centres can be connected with super specialty hospitals through modern technology, thus ensuring affordable and quality treatment for all, he said.
"Traditional Indian healthcare is recognised and respected the world over. Leading healthcare providers around the world are exploring the incredible promise of our traditional healing. This is an avenue that should be further (developed) so that we may possibly discover new cures for new age medical problems," Mukherjee said.

He was speaking at a presentation by the Healthcare Alliance of recommendations made by knowledge and industry partners. The Alliance is a collaboration of various knowledge and industry partners who are working to draw up a roadmap for global healthcare.
"Information and communications technology companies should focus on strengthening capabilities for the delivery of medicine and healthcare services through mobile phones, a device now in the hands of million of Indians," he said.

Improving the health of people is key to the country's success, he said, adding that healthy citizens were integral to building a healthy economy.
People often fail to fully comprehend this fundamental co-relation between the state of the nation and the health of its people, he said.

While the world increasingly looks to India as it rises as a power, Mukherjee said its health indices needed to improve to meet the World Health Organisation mandate.
"The need of the hour is for a greater convergence of all stakeholders towards the common goal of an improved healthcare delivery system," he said.