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Despite growth in recent times, health infrastructure in country remains below international standards with only 6.28 lakh hospital beds and 9.18 lakh allopathic doctors for over 1.25 billion people in the country. National Health Profile, 2013, released by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today also highlights the wild difference in health facilities available to people as infant mortality rate, a key human development index, in Kerala was only 66 per 1 lakh live births while it was 328 in Assam in 2010-12.
On positive side, infant mortality rate in the country has declined from 47 in 2010 to 42 in 2012 and the total fertility rate also continues to fall as it was 2.4 in 2012, according to official figures. Vardhan asked his officials to come out with more comprehensive and robust data from the next year so that government could make 'evidence-based intervention' in health sector. He sought details of all government and private hospitals, their facilities, prevalence of different ailments in different regions. (Read: Harsh Vardhan promises better healthcare under NaMo government)
'If Election Commission, Census officials can have all details of 125 cr people of this country, then I am sure we can also do this,' he said. In his recent visit to the US, Vardhan said, he was shown real time health data being observed by the health officials there and it felt like a 'war room'. According to the report, Delhi with 1511 cases accounted for the maximum number of swine flu victims while Gujarat at 196 reported most deaths. Madhya Pradesh reported maximum number of foeticide and infanticide cases. (Read: What is the future of healthcare in India?)
Image source: Getty Images
Source: PTI
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