India, Timor Leste meet on health
New Delhi, Mar 6 : A bilateral meeting between Indian Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Sergio G. C. Lobo, Health Minister of Republic of Timor Leste was held in New Delhi on Wednesday.
In his welcome address, Azad said India accords great importance to its time-tested relations with the Republic of Timor Leste.
"Timor-Leste faces the same health challenges like India had faced before. Our experience can show how these challenges can be successfully overcome. In fact, India can play a constructive role in supporting Timor-Leste's aspirations in the fields of health and medicine," said Azad.
"An institutional framework will help to develop and expand Indo-Timor Leste bilateral cooperation in various areas relating to health and life sciences. The MoU which is under active consideration, once signed, would help both the countries in future," he said.
The minister said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) should include human resource development, medical training, nurse and midwifery training, public health management and training, pharmaceutical and medical equipment, strengthening of regulatory systems, hospital development and management, procurement and distribution of drugs and medical equipment, health policies in different areas of medicine, public health including public-private partnerships, health research & development and traditional medicine for mutual cooperationand benefit.
"We can certainly look at increased short and medium term training opportunities in India for the medical students and nurses from Timor Leste," said Azad.
In reply, Lobo said India has made much advance in medical sector.
He hoped the signing of MoU would strengthen collaboration and partnership in the health sectors between the two countries.
With India's cooperation, human resources of Timor Leste in medical sector would be greatly benefited, he added.