Need drastic transformation in medical education: Jitendra Singh

New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh underlined the need for drastic transformation in medical education to make it suitable for the present times.

Not only the quality of education but also certain apparent mismatches at entry level of medical courses should be addressed to, he said at the 13th India Health Summit 2016, organised by CII here.

"We should not look at medical education through the prism of 1947," the Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office said.

Asserting that there should be incentives for medical professionals to serve in backward areas, he said, "Hardly anybody prefer to work in backward areas leading to severe health gaps in the country."

"This should be pragmatically looked into and policy guidelines should be framed to ensure seamless flow of medical professionals and other paramedics across the country," the minister said.

About introduction of GST, he said it will have a favourable impact on the healthcare sector, particularly in far-flung areas like the northeast as it is aimed at ease of doing business.

Singh said in a heterogeneous country like India, involvement of private sector in delivery of health services is of paramount importance.

In far-flung areas most of the investment in health sector is done by the government. The private sector has got a role in supplementing the existing infrastructure, he said.

The government is coming up with various schemes for short term training of medial professionals particularly in places where there is higher incidence of cancer, Singh said, adding the scheme will be unveiled in some of the northeastern states where there is higher incidence of malignancy.