PUDUCHERRY: Private medical institutions should help the poor patients free of cost as their sources of income are limited, said Dr George M Chandy, director and principal of Believers Church Medical College and Hospital, Thiruvalla.
Delivering his address at the 8th Graduation Day at the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Monday, Dr Chandy, said that as per census, only three per cent of the doctors serve in rural areas in the country as compared to 72 per cent in urban and 23 per cent in semi-urban areas.
The average monthly per capita income of a rural household is `504 (as per government data), he said and pointing out the limitations of the poor to take care of their medical needs. So, private medical institutions should treat such patients free of charge, he added.
Healthcare is abysmal in most parts of the country: One in five children dies, while 42 per cent under the age of three are malnourished. The medical faculty should become role models for medical students, Dr Chandy said.