Health facilities should be available to all citizens: Ansari

Holding that a healthy workforce can contribute much more to the development of a country than a less healthy one, Vice President Hamid Ansari today said efforts should be made to ensure that health facilities reach each and every citizen.
"As a country we have made great progress in the area of medicine and other provisions of health and yet we have a very long way to go," Ansari said addressing at a function here to conclude the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Holy Family Hospital.
He said every morning one can see long queues of people outside hospitals in Delhi, waiting and praying for their turn to come. And if they don't succeed, they again hope for the next day.

"So we have very very long way to go as compared to countries and societies which are more fortunate. But that should not be a depressing thought but an invigorating one and we have to travel down that road as quickly as possible," Ansari said.
"A healthy workforce can contribute much more to the development of a country than a less healthy one and this has been established scientifically," he said, adding there is enough scientific data available as to what good health means to the progress of the economy.
Recalling his first visit to this hospital way back in 1957, he said it was a very secluded place then but now it is in the centre of the city which proves the foresightedness and vision of its founders.

The foundation stone of Holy Family Hospital was laid in 1953 by the then Vice President of India Late Dr S Radhakrishnan. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were born in this hospital.
On the occasion, Father George P A, Director of the Hospital announced establishment of a medical college under the name of the Holy Family Academy of Health Science and Research.