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Chandigarh, Nov. 3 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Tuesday urged medical graduates to serve to the poor section of the society, as the government works hard to achieve its goal of spending 2-3 percent of GDP on health care.

“You must always keep the well being of the common man in mind and contribute to it i.e. the talisman Mahatma Gandhi wanted to give to each poor person in our free country. You must find ways of returning to the society and your country a part of what they have given to you,” Dr. Singh said in his address at the Convocation of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.

Dr Manmohan Singh admitted that India is lagging far behind other South East Asian countries as far as spending on the health sector is concerned.

“In the public sector today we are spending one percent of GDP on health care. It has been our goal to raise it to 2 to 3 per cent. Both, the Central and the State Governments, have to work hard to achieve this goal. It also does not compare well with what a number of other countries, particularly in South East Asia, have achieved,” he said.

Dr. Singh pointed out that India is facing acute shortage of human resources at various levels in the health sector.

“A review of the National Rural Health Mission points out to the acute shortage of human resources at various levels in the health sector - specialists, doctors, nurses and paramedics. This is one of the biggest impediments to strengthening of the public health delivery system and scaling up access to health care,” he said.

In a bid to address this shortage, more medical colleges and nursing schools are being established in the less developed states, he said.

“A new scheme for strengthening and upgrading medical colleges of the State Governments is also being launched so as to increase the number of post-graduate medical seats all over the country,” he said. (ANI)