Foundation Stone Laid for Public Health Institute

The foundation stone for the world-class Indian Institute of Public Health, aimed at improving public health services by training health workers, was laid.

The foundation stone for the world-class Indian Institute of Public Health, aimed at improving public health services by training health workers , was laid here by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramdoss Saturday.

This is the first of the seven such institutes planned by the central government with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), an autonomous body, under public-private partnership.

The institute is coming up on 45 acres of land at Rajendernagar on the city outskirts. The Andhra Pradesh government is providing Rs.300 million for the IIPH in addition to the land.

Ramdoss said the country lacked public health schools and these institutes would go a long way in making the trained human resources available. He hoped that public health schools would help in brining the specialists in health administration.

The institute will have affiliation with Harvard University and other world-class universities and institutes.

The institutes will initially train 1,000-plus professionals a year, with the goal of eventually producing as many as 10,000 graduates annually.

The Association of Schools of Public Health of the U.S. will offer educational and technical assistance in this effort.

Ramdoss also launched www.healthy-india.org, a website on healthy living, on the occasion of the World Health Day.

Describing the Indian health sector as among the largest in the world, he said that huge opportunities were available in the industry.

The health minister said the central government has decided to make it mandatory for medical graduates to serve in rural areas from academic year 2008-09.

Ramdoss stated that the country has about 262 medical colleges that are rolling out 29,000 graduates every year.

Source-IANS
MED/B