Summary:
By Express News ServiceBENGALURU: There is an alarming shortage of doctors in the country with nearly 4 lakh required, said former Union Minister and Tiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor. Delivering the convocation address at St Johns Medical College on Saturday, Tharoor said, “According to the World Bank, India had just 7 doctors for every 10,000 people. “It reflects the low priority given by the government to fund mental health care, which is 0.06% of the overall healthcare budget. Calling upon doctors to update their skills, Tharoor said they need to acquire IT skills so that they can use Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for better diagnosis of patients. Tharoor said that a World Health Organisation report in 2017 that assessed 184 countries placed India and Bangladesh at sixth position when it comes to public managing their health needs through out of pocket expenses..