Seminar on affordable healthcare

CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh Press Club organized a seminar on ethical and affordable healthcare in India in collaboration with SPEAK (Society for Promotion of Ethical and Affordable Healthcare) on the occasion of the first anniversary of the NGO.
The event saw the re-launch of updated version of SPEAK's website for healthy lifestyle, patient education, prevention of disease and promotion of ethical and affordable healthcare.
Vivek Atray, an IAS officer, mentioned about the role of positive thinking in better health outcome. Dr Dilpreet Sandhu from Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, dwelt on the issues concerning avoidable surgeries in gynaecology and other areas. Dr Pallab Ray, professor, medical microbiology, PGI, spoke on the problem of over-exploitation of lab and imaging tests. Dr A K Kaushal, former secretary, IMA, spoke about model of affordable health care. Dr R Kumar warned of dangers of medicalization, misuse of antibiotics and medical interventions by patients themselves or on prescription of doctors.
SPEAK made several recommendations of far-reaching importance to the government and society. Some very pertinent were due weightage for compassion and ethics as the criteria in admissions to medicine courses apart from academics, providing free medicines and tests to all and 'second opinion' centres to weed out medical malpractices. It also recommended higher public investment in healthcare sector. The point that came out at the seminar was the need to shift to healthy lifestyle and prevention of disease. Speakers called for adequate surgical facilities in the public sector. A recommendation was made of ample medical faculty to make medical institutes function in an effective way. Another very important suggestion was that government should give aid and incentives to private doctors to set up clinics in each locality.
Dr R Kumar, administrator of the website www.speakforhealthyindia.com said "The website is a movement that focuses on bringing medical ethics to the fore while highlighting the good work being done by the doctors. We do not intend to criticize any particular doctor or interfere in the treatment. The site is purely educational and is your family friend and is not intended to replace the family doctor."