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| Edited By: Santosh Andhale |Source: DNA |Updated: Dec 28, 2014, 06:10 AM IST
What are the main statewide issues which you intend to tackle?
A: Maternal mortality is unacceptably high among women living in rural areas. About 800 women die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications around the state every year. Almost all of these deaths occurred in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented. Also, being a doctor, I feel malnutrition is a serious issue. We are focusing on the areas which have malnutrition and are planning to create a special task force with various ministry officials to eradicate this problem.
Isn't it true that there is shortage of super-speciality doctors and paramedics in rural areas?
A: To tackle this issue, we are planning to tie up with the institutes affiliated with the National Board of Examinations which awards Diploma of National Board (DNB) and College of Physicians (CPS). We will design a special course to be taught in our civil hospital in each district, thus we will create doctors to be deployed in rural areas. Also with the help of Maharashtra University of health sciences (MUHS), we will design courses for laboratory, X-ray, dialysis, and dental technicians, who will also be for rural areas.
What do you feel about unethical practices such as hospitals giving cuts to doctors for referring patients to them?
A: I feel it is like extortion. Some of the doctors who indulge in such sorts of practices should be stopped immediately. We will work on this issue and for this we will take the help of Maharashtra Medical Council.
What about the recent rise in the rate for blood components?
A: The state blood transfusion council (SBTC), part of state health services department had issued the blood product rate as per the directions given by the union health ministry. I personally feel these rates are high, so we are going to reduce the rate of blood components in the government blood banks. Then we will be holding a meeting with the private blood banks and will appeal to them to adhere to the government-set rates.
