Russian medical fraternity keen to forge ties with Indian counterparts

Shetty, the Minister of Protocol and Public Health, Maharashtra, was speaking at a meet organised by the Russia India Trade House and the All-India Association of Industries.

Shetty said the healthcare industry in India and Russia had undergone a significant change in the last 15 to 20 years with new research, updated technology and new systems. However, there was a dire need for more services to reach the poor.

In terms of rural health in India, Shetty said many initiatives were underway such as the National Rural Health Mission that works towards upgrading rural medical infrastructure. Going forward, he added, India should adopt innovations in the health sector, such as telemedicine, research in cardiology and oncology along with updated medical technologies.

Alexander Lukianov of the Moscow Foreign Economic and International Relations Department said the meet would open avenues for ground level co-operation between the Indian and Russian medical fraternities. He added that Moscow gave great importance to co-operation between doctors, specialists, health services and hospitals between the two countries.

India-Russia bilateral trade stands at $11 billion and several initiatives are underway to ensure that trade crosses $20 billion by 2015.

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