CHENNAI: Located in the heart of the city at Guindy, one of the country’s renowned childcare speciality hospitals, Rainbow Children’s Hospital opened its doors for the public on Sunday. The hospital has 120 beds.
“Nearly 43 per cent children aged below five years in low-income countries including India do not get adequate nutrition, protection and stimulisation. As many as 2.61 lakh Indian children below the age of five years die every year due to diarrhoea and pneumonia. India has to step up its efforts to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Hospitals like this would ensure better healthcare,” said Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu who was the chief guest during the inauguration.
He added that private hospitals must come forward and partner with government to provide effective healthcare. “Private hospitals are only set up in urban areas. They must also focus on rural and remote areas and most importantly, it should be affordable,” he said.
The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Banwarilal Purohit, at the inauguration, emphasised that infant mortality rate has improved in Tamil Nadu to 17 per cent, and is half the national average of 34 per cent.
During the occasion, the former director of Institute of Child Health, S Gopaul was felicitated in recognition of his contribution to the field of neonatology as a teacher and as a doctor. The group soon plans to open a 200-bed facility at Visakhapatnam.