Chandigarh, March 15
President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday called for "out-of- the-box" managerial and administrative reforms in the health sector. "Progress in health sector is key to India's future. A nation's productivity depends on the health and well-being of its citizens...We need out-of-the-box managerial and administrative reforms in the sector," he said.

Pranab was speaking at the 33rd annual convocation of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

“The PGI must rise to become one of the top medical universities in the world within a specific period of time. This target is ambitious, but I am confident the faculty, the students and the staff can together achieve this. The government will support you in every possible way,” said Pranab, while honouring the gold medallists of the institute.

"We need health professionals to spearhead public health programmes. We need to develop effective models of healthcare for the ever increasing urban population," said the President.

Pranab was accompanied by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who conferred degrees on other students.

Pranab said according to a WHO study, the estimated economic loss for India due to deaths caused by all diseases in 2005 was 1.3% of its GDP. With an increase in the number of non-communicable diseases, this loss is apprehended to increase to 5% of GDP by 2015 if it is not checked, he said.

“We need to take health services closer to the homes of people. Even a primary health centre is too far for some people,” said Pranab.

Four gold medals for academic excellence and 393 degrees were awarded to students in various disciplines during the convocation.

The Health Ministry has given its nod for setting up a 300-bed Satellite Centre of the PGIMER at Sangrur. The capacity of the beds can be further be extended to 500 on the basis of the patient load, said Azad. The centre will primarily cater to the cancer patients in the region. The Rs 1,000-crore project will also bring down the patient load at the PGIMER.

A 100-bed facility will also be set up in the border district of Ferozepur to provide quality tertiary care to the people living in remote areas. The Sangrur hospital will be set up in collaboration with Tata Memorial Centre.