President A P J Abdul Kalam said a national movement for fast track treatment method involving mission-oriented doctors should be evolved throughout the country. Declaring open the Rs 30 crore Pondicherry unit of the Aravind Eye Hospital at Abishegapakkam, he praised the efforts of the management of the hospital for bringing together multiple institutions.

India has already a national programme for control of blindness and also 'Vision 2020: The right to sight initiative'. He said 30 per cent of the population still lived below the poverty line and medical care had to be provided to a large population.

Claiming that he had realised that the major problem in Indian health care delivery system, including the area of ophthalmology, was the near total dependency on medical imports of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and devices including consumables, he maintained that "we need to create an infrastructure capable of producing our own medical devices, consumables and equipment based on the technology available and to be developed within the country at affordable cost", he added.

Every year, over Rs 3,000 crore worth of medical devices and equipment were being imported. While the common man seldom bought anything imported, he was made to purchase or pay partly for the cost of the imported gadgets for health care, he said.

Basic research needed to focus on the areas of molecular genetics of inherited eye diseases, microbiology of eye infections, biochemical features of cataract and stem cell technology for reconstruction of the damaged ocular outer surface, according to him.

He said the Aravind Eye Hospital had been serving a large number of people through their hospitals in Madurai, Theni, Tirunelveli and Coimbatore.

The emerging evidence suggested that the multi-potential stem cells progenitors held considerable promise, he added. He dealt with cell replacement therapy, stem cell and eye care mission.

The President said India had the best doctors and technologies. "We have core competence in design and software engineering. Emerging technologies in virtual reality and micro machines will transform the health care scenario. This transformation should lead to helping the people who could not afford modern medical care. If we remove their pain, god would bless us," he added.

Kalam said the mission of Aravind Hospital was not only to give sight to the visually impaired but also to function as a centre of education and dynamic performance of service.

Lt Governor K R Malkani, Chief Minister N Rangasamy and others spoke on the occasion.