UK Health ministers for health sector links with Kerala

Members of a UK delegation led by Anna Soubry, MP, Britain's Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, announced this when they called on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here today.

During their interaction, Soubry noted Kerala's achievements in human development, especially in public health care over the decades.

"I am delighted to be in Kerala which is renowned worldwide for its high health and human development indices. I am very pleased to have met Chief Minister Chandy who shares my enthusiasm for strengthening the existing academic and research partnerships we have in Kerala," Soubry said.

The delegation also invited key universities, colleges and companies in Kerala to look to the UK for partnerships in education, research, training, equipment and technology.

Soubry and Chandy also jointly launched a booklet titled 'Quality standard for post-partum haemorrhage and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy'.

It brought together the work and plans of the Kerala Health Department and the Kerala Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and of NICE International, UK.

The book was the product of a partnership with Kerala Government, National Rural Health Mission, Kerala Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Departments of Health Services and Medical education.

The delegation also visited Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, a leading medical research institution of India, which has wide-ranging academic and scientific research collaboration between SCTIMST and UK institutions.

"I am delighted to have seen and heard first-hand today some of the links that exist between the UK and SCTIMST, which is a Centre of National importance. I am here to help support these links, and also explore opportunities for new partnerships with the UK in education, research and training," Soubry said.

Dr K Radhakrishnan, Director, SCTIMST said, "We are proud of our links with the UK and happy to have hosted the UK Health Minister today. We are confident that our work with various UK institutions will help our ambition to improve healthcare technology management in our country and our healthcare system as a whole."