CII’s 15th India Health Summit kicks off at Delhi

New Delhi: The leading industry body, Confederation of Indian industry (CII) is holding its annual flagship event, the 15th Health Summit 2018 from 29th to 30th November 2018 in New Delhi.

The summit’s theme this time is ‘Indian Healthcare – A Changing Paradigm’ and aims to sensitize the stakeholders to the very real challenges that confront the healthcare system, and to find ways to engage constructively, and arrive at lasting solutions.

The summit is offering its platform to have a conversation with the government, various regulatory agencies and with healthcare professionals in the private and public sector at large, to drive agreement on the contributions the private sector has made, and will continue to make to nation-building, and the unshackling it needs to truly achieve its potential. Through this Summit, organizers are hoping to inspire unique collaborations , previously un-thought of partnerships which can help build an ecosystem around health.

Minister lists out government’s policies and achievements

“The government is committed to the attainment of highest possible levels of health and wellbeing for all its citizens and providing “Healthcare for All.” This was stated by Ms Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare while addressing the participants at the event.

Minister further stated that one of the biggest policy initiatives was the release of National Health Policy, 2017 after a gap of fifteen long years which paves the way for Universal Health Coverage and reduction of out-of-pocket expenses. She said that the other policy achievements in the past four years include the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and HIV/AIDS( Prevention and Control) Act 2017, MCI Ordinance.

Ms Anupriya Patel also released a report, ‘Creating the New Ecosystems to Provide Healthcare’ on the occasion.

Highlighting other achievements of the Ministry, Ms Anupriya Patel further said the Government’s new schemes and programs have contributed to changing the health scenario of the country. She added that Mission Indradhanushyielded very encouraging results which has made us set our target date of bringing 90% full immunization rate in the country to 2018, much before the target date of 2020. Five new vaccines have been added to India’s Universal Immunization Program, bringing the total to twelve, she said. The Minister further informed that the PradhanMantri National Dialysis Programme is providing free dialysis services to the poor in the district hospitals in PPP mode and AMRIT Pharmacies provide drugs and implants for cancer patients and cardiovascular diseases at 60 to 90% discount than the prevailing market rates.

Speaking further on Ayushman Bharat, Ms Anupriya Patel said that it is a step towards fulfilling the vision of National Health Policy, 2017 and adopts a continuum of care approach through it two pillars. The 1st pillar being Health and Wellness Centre aimed at bringing healthcare to the homes of people and under it 1.5 lakh subcentres and primary healthcare Centres across the country would be transformed into Health and Wellness Centres, she added.

The Minister further elaborated that the 2nd pillar is Ayushman Bharat- PradhanMantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PMJAY) that provides insurance cover of Rs 5 lakhs per annum for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to more than 10 crorepoor and vulnerable families across the country. This is a holistic initiative in the public health sector aimed at fixing the current fragmented and inequitable healthcare system of providing continuum of care covering primary, secondary and tertiary aspects of healthcare along with financial risk protection to the poor.

“Ayushman Bharat is being implemented at unprecedented scale to build new India by 2022 and will bring paradigm shift in India’s healthcare sector. This holistic and comprehensive approach towards healthcare will definitely achieve the goal of “Health for all’’, she mentioned.