Meet IMA New President
Meeting Dr. Sharad Kumar Agarwal at ITO, New Delhi based Indian Medical Association headquarter office was an uplifting experience that filled Double Helical Team with inherently positive vibes and immensely feel-good factor. During our half an hours-long conversation with him, he dwelt at length on the benefits to his fraternity like violence against doctors is key issue.
Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal took the charge of new national President, Indian Medical Association for 2022-23 recently. Dr Agarwal says that in the last 2 years, members of IMA fought the menace of Covid-19 shouldering the responsibilities as the biggest organization of doctors of modern medicine with the government of India.
By qualification he is MBBS, MD with PGDHHM, Masters in Hospital Administration, having more than 20 yrs of experience in administration and operations. He has a good track record on P&L viability and profitability with maintaining all quality criteria like good control on cost efficiency. He was formerly associated with top notched medical institutions like MAX Hospital, Medanta Medcity, CARE Hyderabad, AMRI Kolkata and. American Oncology Institute, Nagpur.
According to Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal, the IMA stands with the government in all their healthcare projects and schemes whether in the eradication of epidemics or improving the overall healthcare structure of the country.
He says that while Mixopathy has been a talk for a while and the government is planning to introduce integrated medicine and treatment protocols by 2030, IMA has also urged the government to understand the impact of Mixopathy and rethink its strategy. We welcome mixing all the different fields of medicines, like Sidha, Unani, Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Allopathy among others and using integrative medicine can be detrimental to the patients. All the different fields of medicine should get continued support from the government in research and medical education but it’s best if these medicines function separately as mixing gets rid of the purity of these fields of medicine.
He appeals IMA wants the government to rethink its planning of the integration of all systems of medicine by 2030. We would like a thorough discussion on understanding the impact of Mixopathy on our masses in consultation with IMA.
Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal focused on various other aspects to be revamped in the healthcare industry such as the creation of Indian Medical Services, an increase in the healthcare spending of 5 per cent of GDP, the exclusion of health services from the Consumer Protection Act and the elimination of violence against doctors.
Dr Aggarwal, said, “The government should take the workforce of IMA into confidence in all their plans and programmes. Our opinion should be valued for improving various healthcare parameters of the country. I assure IMA is ready to participate in family welfare programmes, improving Maternal Mortality Rate, Infant Mortality Rate, eradication of tuberculosis and anaemia control etc.”
“As the number of Covid-19 cases is steeply rising in various countries, the surge in India is still comparatively less alarming, though as per the previous trends, the cases may erupt suddenly in our country, one should follow Covid appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated for the virus,” he added.
He also focused: Aao Gaon Chalen” which was introduced before the Central Working Committee of IMA. This is being considered as dream project of Indian Medical Association and formally launched on 8th August, 2004 at Village Lakhvad in Mehsana District, Gujarat.
Since then, all the State branches of IMA have taken up this project in a big way. Local branches have also adopted villages on the basis of need assessment, community requirement and inter-sectoral relationships in creating wider impact of the interventions on the masses.
Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal said, “The main objective of the project is to bring about holistic improvement in the village health scenario using existing infrastructure and promoting inter-sectoral coordination and networking through active involvement of IMA, Public Sector health delivery system and the community.”
“Undoudedly, “Aao Gaon Chalen” is a challenge taken up by Indian Medical Association under Public Private Partnership Programme with an objective to contribute its bit in whatever way possible to compliment the efforts taken up by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India for improving the health care delivery system in the rural scenario of India. More than 1040 villages have been adopted by various States and Branches till now. Village adoption forms and monthly activity reports of some branches are awaited. More than 20 lacs people have already benefited through this project,” Dr Sharad Aggrwal, heightens.