Union Minister J P Nadda seeks involvement of corporate sector and NGOs in healthcare

Union Minister J P Nadda on Saturday sought corporate sector and non-government organisations' involvement to make healthcare services available for people across the country.

"The provision of healthcare, though primarily the responsibility of the government, cannot be undertaken by the government alone... Corporate sector and NGOs must share the responsibility and supplement the efforts of the government in providing healthcare services," he said.

The Union Minister for Health was here to present National Oral Healthcare Sushruta Awards organised by Indian Dental Association (IDA) in Mumbai.

Oral diseases are becoming the leading health problem these days and are attributed mainly to the rapidly changing lifestyles, wide-spread use of tobacco and increased consumption of alcohol, he said, adding they pose a major threat to our public health.

Socially and economically weaker sections of the community need to be educated on the importance of oral health and access to dental services in rural areas must improve, he added.

The IDA has set up Oral Cancer Foundation for the early detection and treatment of oral cancer and in this regard a registry for exclusive oral cancer cases is also in place apart from the tobacco intervention initiative, the minister said.

The association has also developed a software for the effective management of dental resources personnel which could prove useful to the Health Ministry in monitoring the deployment of dental personnel and shaping oral health policies, he said.

The Minister expressed confidence that the tools devised by the IDA to combat oral ailments would make a significant contribution to oral healthcare management.