US Administration Keen to Partner with India

The US administration is keen to partner with India to offer quality healthcare in urban and rural areas of the country. Dean R Thompson, the US Consul General in Kolkata said, “We, at the US Consulate, share your interest in improving citizens' access to the best available healthcare in urban and rural areas.” He was speaking at "Healthcare Its Reach, Cost and Quality", a healthcare seminar organised by American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Kolkata recently.

The West Bengal Government also intends to introduce a post-graduate course in hospital management for senior doctors in medical colleges in a bid to increase the number of medical seats in the state. The government is also introducing IT training for doctors to centralise the public healthcare system.

“We have seen a major demand for the hospital management course. Since there is demand for people with such qualifications at present, it is imperative to introduce the course. We have many takers as many people are going out of the city to study the same course,” said Prof S K Bandhopadhyay, Director, Medical Education (DME), Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal.

Prof Bandhopadhyay pointed out that the state government would offer the post-graduate course to junior as well as senior doctors. The course is expected to start soon and the Health & Family Welfare Department would also train doctors in IT-enabled technology over the next couple of years.

“We want to train them in the use of Information Technology (IT) so that they are compatible with the latest technology the State Health Department is planning to introduce,” said the DME.

Prof Bandhopadhyay also stressed on the need to develop and familiarise the use of alternative medicine in the country.

EH News Bureau