CHENNAI: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Monday inaugurated GEM Hospital in the city at Perungudi, a 200-bedded dedicated Gastroenterology and Laparoscopic super speciality hospital. The Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and the hospital chairman Dr C Palanivelu were also present.
Naidu highlighted that as against the WHO norm of one doctor per 1,000, there is only one doctor per 1,700 population in India. In order to reach this target, a high-level committee of erstwhile Planning Commission has recommended setting up 187 more medical colleges by 2022, he said. “The inadequate number of physicians is an area of concern. While the number of physicians available is 20 per 10,000 population in developed countries, it is only six in India,” a statement from the Press Information Bureau quoted Venkaiah Naidu. Chief Minister Palaniswami said that hospitals with latest equipment at the cost of `634 crores funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency will be introduced.
