Primary Health Care MoU Signed on the Sidelines of the PBD

The health sector was in full focus at the fourth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Hyderabad in Saturday as the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) reached an agreement to improve the primary health sector in India.

MOIA secretary Krishna Kumar and AAPI president Vijay Kohli inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as the Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Oscar Fernandes looked on. Under the terms of the agreement, the Indian Government would take up projects to promote the knowledge, institution and stakeholder partners as a part of several pilot projects. The Center would be a partner in these projects, which would receive the go ahead after consulting a working group of the AAPI. The MoU would be effective till January 6, 2009.Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kohli said that the working group would look into compiling empirical data about the status of health care in the country and identify areas where assistance was needed. Additionally, the stakeholder States would be identified where the pilot projects would get underway.