BHUBANESWAR: Even affluent nations like USA do not have universal health care and many uninsured are failing to receive healthcare when sick. In poorer nations out-of-pocket expenses at times of major sickness or hospitalisation can drive families bankrupt, said Oopali Operajita a senior advisor to India’s Parliamentary leaders and world leaders on public policy and international affairs.
“Under such situations new programmes introduced by the State and Central Governments are attempting to address some of these issues,” she said.
She was speaking at AIPH University on Saturday as part of World Health Day celebrations under the theme ‘Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere’.
The institution has been celebrating the occasion as one of the important events for the past several years to make students and general public aware of every year’s theme.
Various co-curricular activities, including an essay competition on ‘Role of Public Health in Universal health coverage’ and a quiz competition were held among student groups at the university.
Vice Chancellor Prof J Mahapatra highlighted the need of early diagnosis in the prevention of infectious diseases and how such public health interventions would ultimately enable accomplishing the goal of universal health coverage. Among others, organising secretary Dr Jaya Dubey was present.