Invitation

 

30th Annual Meet of Medico Friend Circle

27th and 29th February 2004

 

The Medico Friend Circle (MFC) is an all-India group of socially conscious individuals from diverse backgrounds, who have come together with a common concern for health. Members of the MFC are primarily medical, public health and social science professionals, researchers as well as community health and gender activists. For more than 29 years, MFC has critically analysed the existing health care system and has tried to evolve an appropriate approach towards health care that is humane and which can meet the needs of the vast majority of people in the country. MFC offers a forum for dialogue, debate and sharing of experiences with the aim of realising its goals and for taking up issues of common concern for action.

 

The annual theme Meet is going to be held at Bhopal, between 27th and 28th February 2004 (Friday till Saturday). The introspection on 30th anniversary of MFC will start from 28th evening and continue till 29th (Sunday) afternoon, followed by the Annual General Body meet.

Venue:

AICUF Ashram,

Near Shahpur Lake, Campion School Campus,

E-7 Arera Colony, Bhopal.

Phone: 0755- 2464646

 

The Meet will focus on

"Public Health Care System: Threats and Options".

 

A special session will be convened, in addition, to commensurate MFC’s 30th year of activity:

" Looking back at MFC in its 30th year- Achievements and Challenges Ahead".

 

The signatories of the Alma Ata Declaration in lieu of nearly all governments of the world had made an international commitment to achieve Health for All (HFA) by the year 2000. The Alma Ata Declaration acclaimed that health is a fundamental human right and that gross inequalities in health status are inadmissible. With its vision to ensure health for all the Alma Ata Declaration recognized that without social justice health for all could never be achieved.

 

However, though it correctly recognized health as an indicator of people’s lives it could not achieve the desired result in the last 25 years. This is because, to ensure health for all, complimentary political change is not only a sufficient condition, but is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately contrary to this, the last two decades have witnessed concurrent rise of imperialist forces, globalization, liberalization and privatization

 

This has led to a radical transformation of the Public Health System, which has been totally devalued and distorted. The policy measures of “free” enterprise, deregulation, and privatisation have far surpassed the benefits with harms, as this has meant cutting public expenditure for social services and hence eliminating the concept of “public good” or “community”.

 

Hence, as a network focusing on health issues, Medico Friend Circle strongly feels the need to engage in a debate on the Public Health Care System, the inherent threats and a search for the challenges ahead.

 

Along with this, the Meet will also focus on the significance of MFC in the health movement. The very fact that a non-funded, non-mainstream health organisation of highly committed people has been in existence for the last thirty years is significant and should be recognised. This will also be a good incentive for those who were there in the past and have witnessed the birth of MFC, to come forward, share their experiences and speak of their expectations from the organisation. This would allow for nostalgia, introspection, celebration, getting together of the new and old members as well as help us in planning future strategies.

 

The MFC 30th Annual Meet will focus on the following issues:

1. Historical Round up of 'Public Health' in India

2. Overview: A general paper on the current status of health care services, state-wise, rural/urban, in terms of infrastructure, manpower, utilisation etc in both public and private sectors. 

3. Indigenous Systems of Medicine and Public Health

4. The role of global bodies l like World Bank that have taken upon themselves the right to set the terms for our country’s health care system

5. An analysis of the national health policy (2001 draft) and re-examine the economic/political considerations and compulsions

6 Right to health and health care as a fundamental right

7 Reflection of the past achievements, the present interventions and planning of future strategies

8 Other relevant issues.

 

An Organising Committee has been formed to coordinate this year 's annual meet. We invite papers based on the above themes. The last date of submission is January 1, 2003. For details about submission of papers and participation in the meet, please contact:

 

N. B. Sarojini,

Convener, Medico Friend Circle,

1st Floor, J-59, Saket,

New Delhi 110017.

E-mail: saromfc@vsnl.net

Ph: +91 11 26968 972, 26562401

MFC website:  www.mfcindia.org

 

Please note, however, that written papers/paper presentations are not a prerequisite for participation at MFC meets. Anybody interested in the above issues is invited to attend the meet. MFC is not a funded organisation and neither does it raise funds for conducting its meetings.

 

Local contacts. in Bhopal:

Dr Ajay Khare (MP JSA, MP Vigyan Sabha) Phone: 0755-2738681

Ms Asha Mishra (MP BGVS): Phone: 0755-294378

Sarojini/Parul:  Mobile: 09810728018

 

* Please find the enclosed the map for the venue and the concept note by Dr C. Sathyamala