Britain hails Tamil Nadu’s health care system

Chennai:

British Cabinet Minister and Prime Minister’s Trade envoy Kenneth Clarke hailed Tamil Nadu’s health care system while stating that the state budget expenditure has risen by 67 per cent in two years.

Addressing reporters after addressing a conference on Indo-UK Collaboration in Healthcare organized by confederation of Indian Industry here on Thursday, Clarke said that he met the state health minister and discussed the health care system in the state.

He also highlighted that India-United Kingdom trade ties has grown four times in the last 10 years. Clarke, who has served in the Cabinet in various posts including that of Health Secretary, said that United States, United Kingdom and India are the leaders in healthcare and they have to ensure that people have access to quality care at affordable cost.

He also highlighted the importance being given to India by the British Prime Minister David Cameron. “The prime minister is convinced that India is a crucial partner of Britain,” said the trade envoy of the prime minister.

The minister said that India and Britain share close links in the medical profession as quarter of British doctors are of Indian descent. Clarke also stressed the need to maintain digital records rather than the paper records being maintained in the hospitals.

He also said that a unique feature of the UK healthcare system is the General Practitioner (GP) who acts as diagnostician and a gateway to a whole range of services from day-to-day domiciliary care to hospital care.

“Our universities offer training not just to doctors but to a range of allied healthcare professionals including training staff to operate complicated equipment. The UK health business delegation accompanying me in India this week, have a unique mix of experience and skill that they are keen to offer to India, from design and operating a hospital to creating digital records or skill in operating state-of-the-art equipment. I’d like to see a vibrant and growing Indo-UK healthcare partnership as a way of opening up a whole range of business partnerships with India,” he added.

Interestingly, Clarke is leading a large business delegation, which includes senior representatives from Healthcare UK, A4e, Brit Health Care, Sarco Health, BMJ Group, BT Health, London Ambulance Service, Royal Free Hospital, 3DiFM, Sheffield Halam University, PCTI, Run Healthcare, TPP, Hurley Group, Downtown Engineering Consultants, DMC Healthcare and Boomerang Consultancy.