India provides 'affordable' not 'cheap' treatment, says Azad

In a terse reaction, Azad said India does not provide "cheap" but "affordable" healthcare without compromising on quality while opposition BJP accused the US of resorting to protectionism.

Eminent cardio-vascular surgeon Naresh Trehan also took objection to Obama's statement saying the quality of institutions in India was as good r better than the best in the US. Obama targeted "cheap health care" in countries like India and Mexico arguing that Americans should avail of "high quality" treatment available here. "My preference would be that you don't have to travel to Mexico or India to get cheap health care. I'd like you to be able to get it right here in the United States of America that is high quality."

Azad said, "affordable healthcare does not mean that our medicine is inferior to any super powers. I would like to say our medicines are indigenous, they are superior, superiority does not come by escalating costs."

He said there are countries which are escalating the cost of medicine, when India is selling the same medicine at one-tenth of the price they were selling.
"We do not make profit so they very word cheap is a cheap word, to say cheap is a cheap?" he said.

He said most of the countries appreciate the efforts being made by India and the drugs and pharmaceuticals provided by the government at affordable price is being appreciated all across the world. BJP spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman said Obama's remarks smelled off protectionism. "The Indian medical industry has become very competitive internationally. They are providing international class service to patients who come from any part of the world at affordable price," she said.

"I hope the US medical sector also improves with whaty the President's lies seems to be. However I hoppe the US does not become protectionist that they directly or indirectly disenstivise the people who would want to come to India for medical treatment," she said.

Trehan said if Obama can create an affordable system for their own people in their country it was "perfectly fine". "The response to his statement is that the quality of institutions in India is as good as or better than best in the US. It is not that people are coming to India because treatment is cheap in India but for the higher quality at an affordable cost," he said.