By IANS
New Delhi : Underlining the wide gap between the availability of healthcare facilities in rural and urban India, a Planning Commission member Saturday said the country's health infrastructure is in a shambles.
"I have visited several states and observed that healthcare facilities are not up to the mark. Somehow, we are missing out in proper planning," said Syeda Hameed, a member of the plan panel.
Hammed said nearly 50 percent of the primary healthcare centres in the country do not have necessary infrastructure. "This is why India is No.127 in the human development index of the world," she said.
She was speaking here at the release of a report, Governance and Development 2007, prepared by the National Social Watch Coalition, a conglomerate of voluntary organisation from 14 states.
"I visited one hospital in Kashmir where there were three patients for one bed. We certainly need better infrastructure," Hameed added.
Reacting to the plight of tribals in mining affected areas of Orissa, highlighted by renowned activist, Padmashree awardee Tulsi Munda, Hameed said: "I understand the plight and the 11th plan will address some of them."
Munda said: "Parliament and state legislatures are no more concerned about the poor and downtrodden. This is a sad state of affairs and we hope the recent report on governance will open the eyes of authorities towards the real problem."
The 182-page report has detailed findings of issues such as farmers' suicides and loss of working hours in parliament, primary healthcare and the efficacy of the Right to Information Act, from cases pending in courts and the status of female Panchayat representatives.