Millions still out of reach of basic healthcare facility: Union Minister Mahesh Sharma

Union Minister Mahesh Sharma on Monday said scores of lives are still out of reach from the basic health care facilities in the country and emphasised the need of making it more accessible and affordable, especially for poor sections of the society.

"Millions of lives are still out of reach from the basic health care facilities in India. As a country, we need to make it more accessible and affordable especially for poor sections of the society to achieve the dream of greater nation," the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism and Civil Aviation said.

He expressed his views during an inauguration ceremony of a "Project for supply of retinal surgical equipment for the patients with economic difficulty in Uttar Pradesh" under the Japan's Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP) in Noida. Under the project, ophthalmic equipment for curing underprivileged patients will be handed over from Japan government to a charitable trust.

Praising the initiative of Japan government, he said "I am very happy to see the support of the embassy of Japan in their endeavour to provide quality ophthalmic services to the poor and the underprivileged."

Speaking on the occasion, Takeshi Yagi, Ambassador of Japan to India, said, "I am sure that our assistance will help to serve the greater cause of complete eye-care in India and help millions of people get a new lease of life. I wish them all the best in this journey."