Build primary health services to fight this pandemic: Dr V Ramankutty

Dr V Ramankutty , a pioneer of People's Health Movement in Kerala spoke to National Herald about how Kerala handled the pandemic better than most parts of India.

V Ramankutty is a health economist, an epidemiologist and an emeritus Professor at Shree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology. He emphasised the importance of primary health structure and public health system. He asserted that all governments in Kerala have invested in public health.

This reporter asked Dr Ramankutty about the difference between the public health system in Kerala and most other states of India. He promptly pointed out the importance of planning and primary health services. That the panchayats should be in a position to get hospitals made for themselves. People should go to experts only when required. That the health system in Kerala has many tiers. The emphasis is not only on big hospitals or super speciality hospitals.

Dr Ramankutty is a rare public health expert who is a paediatrician, an economist who also has a masters in public health from Harvard University.