Haryana aims to improve doctor-patient ratio: Health minister

Haryana has one doctor per 1,700 population and the government is making efforts to improve the figures to one doctor per 1,000 population.

Haryana has one doctor per 1,700 population and the government is making efforts to improve the figures to one doctor per 1,000 population.

People attend the Pravasi Haryana Divas at Kingdom of Dreams on Wednesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Anil Vij, state health minister, made the announcement on Wednesday while appealing to non-resident Haryanvis to invest in healthcare, education, and sport infrastructure in the state.

Speaking at a sectoral session, ‘Health education and sports. Improving indicators: Moving in right direction’, at the first Pravasi Haryana Divas, Vij said interested people could adopt hospitals and villages to improve health facilities.

The event was held with an aim to pursue non-residents to invest in the state. Vij urged the pravasi Haryanvis to deepen their connection with their roots by investing in the state in the fields of health and education.

The minister lauded efforts being made by the private sector, including non-governmental organisations and social and educational institutions, to promote and develop education and health in the state.

“Concerted efforts being made by the state government in this regard are also yielding positive results. These include 20% increase in the number of patients availing of out patient department facility and improvement in sex ratio at birth that has crossed the 900 mark,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, secretary, department of health research of the Central government, said the state government should consider including the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine in its immunisation campaign to prevent chances of occurrence of cervical cancer.

She said two doses of the vaccine should be administered to girls aged 11 and 12 years.

“The vaccine is available in the private sector and proven to be highly effective in reducing possibility of occurrence of cervical cancer. However, as it is expensive, the government should ensure that it is accessible to all. Cancer screening should also be carried out,” she said. She also urged the minister to support research in medical colleges in the state.

Additional chief secretary of Haryana school education department PK Das, president of Manav Rachna educational institution Dr Prashant Bhalla, founding partner and group CEO of Tenacity Group Inc Dr Nandini Tandon, member of national healthcare committee of CII Dr Shubnum Singh and Vikas Kohli of VIVO healthcare shared their views on the occasion.