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Delhi minister stresses on opening of clinics, campaign to protect health
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Friday, 31 July, 2015, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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fiogf49gjkf0d Delhi government would be opening 1,000 clinics in a year mostly in slums where the emphasis will be on protecting health and improving immunity through better nutrition and health supplements, according to state’s health and family welfare minister Satyendar Jain. He disclosed this while addressing the National Symposium on Nutraceuticals, Herbals and Functional Foods organised by ASSOCHAM.
Jain expressed grave concern over the poor health conditions of Delhi’s population, especially women. He recalled that in the three clinics the Delhi government opened recently in the slums, majority of patients were women. Out of them, 80 per cent were found suffering from high deficiency in haemoglobin.
The minister added that this indicated that Delhi people needed vitamins, minerals and food supplements more than calories. People also needed to be educated in protecting health.
“While there was high level of poor nutrition, demand in the government clinics for vitamin and other nutrient tablets was low. The government had therefore decided on a firefighting campaign to protect health,” he stated.
Elaborating on the theme, Dr H K Chopra, chief cardiologist, Moolchand Medicity, emphasised that healthcare was more important than medicare. In public health programmes, the emphasis should shift from illness to wellness. This would save millions of people from later diseases. Over 90 per cent of people above 60 years of age suffered from nutritional deficiency. It was very important. More than pharmaceuticals, people needed nutraceuticals (nutritional supplements).
The cardiologist called for a change of public and policy perception from drugs to nutritional materials. “Drug is toxic,” he cautioned.
The symposium revealed the huge market that was opening up in the country for nutritional materials and herbals. Dr B K Rao, chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council of Healthcare and Hospital, and former chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, revealed that the nutraceuticals and herbals market in India would be US$4 billion by 2018 with a compound growth rate of 18 per cent. He regretted the lack of clarity in regulatory structure in this sector with lot of claims, counter-claims and myths cluttering the prospects.
Among others who spoke at the symposium, P K Jain, chairman, ASSOCHAM MSME Council, said, “Andhra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal were emerging as the main centres of production of nutraceuticals and herbals production. All big pharmaceutical companies were now moving into production of these.”
Detailing the holistic treatment needed for better health through nutraceuticals, Shishmul Maheshwari, founder and CEO, RNCOS, stressed on preventive quality of these materials. Minoru Shimada, MD, Yakult Danone India, recalled the history of the huge change in healthcare that probiotic materials brought about in Japan.
Meanwhile, Satyendar Jain released the ASSOCHAM-RNCOS Knowledge Paper on Nutraceuticals, Herbals and Functional Foods brought out on the occasion. In his foreword to it, ASSOCHAM secretary-general D S Rawat said that the market for these was restrained by lack of a solid regulatory framework, which was crucial for medical credibility as it ensured high quality products. The paper revealed that the US alone had 36 per cent of the global market for these with Asia-Pacific rising to 30 per cent. Japan is a major consumer with 14 per cent and China 10 per cent.
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