Saturday, January 28 2006 12:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The business community and doctors should come together to create an affordable healthcare system for the majority of the population, said Chairman, Hinduja Group, S P Hinduja.

"The word care is an integral part of healthcare and we have to take care to ensure that medicines are not out of reach of the majority of population," Hinduja, India's leading NRI businessman, said while speaking at the four-day ongoing 6th Asian Conference of Neurological surgeons organised by Hinduja hospital, here yesterday (Jan 28,2006).

India has progressed significantly in the medical field and has made improvements in medical education and specialisations and have reached a point where patients from overseas come here for first-class medical care, he said.

"We must still strive to make this level of service available throughout the country," he said.

"Today, if we want real globalisation it is India where I found young successful professors and doctors. India is finally seen as a skilled country", he said.

India needs to draw NRIs and western experts to continue this progress in health and education and where we need help, we should utilise the expertise and resources of neurosurgeons of Asian heritage in the US, UK and Europe", he said.

He also said, "This is the only sector of the credible academic world where they (doctors) do not have friction at an international level, though differences may be there as the goal in the healthcare is service to people."

"So I suggest that they should take over from politicians so there is no conflict in the world as the doctors will only treat and care for people," he said.