The Indian President Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam has called for a national mission for fast track methods involving various missions and mission oriented doctors to improve the healthcare system in the country and to cater to the rural masses.

Inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Sankara Netralaya in Chennai, yesterday, he said technological advances in medicine should help in delivering healthcare to remote villages and people. Calling for an integrated module for rural areas, he said time was ripe to develop integrated mobile medical units combining complete health care, telemedicine and teleopthalmology. He hoped emerging technologies in virtual reality and micro machines would transform healthcare scenario in the country to help the poor and those could not afford medicare.

“The doctor-patient ratio is very poor in most of our villages which lack fully equipped medical facilities. Here, telemedicine could connect primary health centres with area, district and specialty hospitals,” noted the President.

He said tele-opthalmology could minimize delay in diagnosis of ocular diseases and would be economical for the patients, as they need not travel far for their treatment. The focus of eye care should be on children to achieve ‘defect free vision for all’ as a national mission. Screening programme for children should be done in all villages, and those with defects should be referred to institutes for further investigation and treatment.

The President also inaugurated the Sankara Netralaya ORBIS Pediatric Ophthalmology Project and the ONGC Molecular Biology and Genetics Project. Tamilnadu Governor P.S.Madan Mohan Rao and State Health Minister Thalaivi Sundaram attended the function.