New Delhi : NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul appealed to the private sector for more support to deliver quality healthcare even as he underscored central government initiatives that ensure access healthcare. Addressing a session on ‘Perspectives on Healthcare’ on the second day of of ‘FICCI HEAL 2023’, Dr Paul reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen the primary healthcare system in the country. “Commitment to primary healthcare is strong and I look forward to the opportunity on to go in that direction. We are looking forward to a bigger partnership in secondary and tertiary care,” Paul said.
He also informed that India’s doctor-population ratio is better than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) benchmark of one doctor per thousand. “We (India) have a long way to go, surely, because the nations with whom we compare ourselves have typically about three doctors per thousand, and definitely two per thousand,” he said.
Dr Harsh Mahajan, Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee pressed on the need to draw inspiration from other sectors for a fresh approach to disruptive thinking to bring transformative changes in the healthcare sector. The other session of the day focused on ‘Leveraging Technology for Transforming Primary Healthcare’ where the panelists emphasised the adoption of the latest technology and innovations to deliver quality healthcare.
Dr Arvind Lal, Chair, FICCI Swasth Bharat (Public Health) Task Force said health and wellness centres are a significant lever to attain universal healthcare when they are equipped to provide the full spectrum of services and scope. Dr Akshay Jain, Joint Director, National Health Authority (NHA) shared the initiatives undertaken by the Government of India to strengthen the digital health service system and enhance access to quality healthcare. He conveyed the authority’s commitment to making healthcare services available in digitally, even at the primary care level.