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India needs international standards of medical facilities

Healthcare has become one of India’s largest sectors, both in terms of revenue and employment. The healthcare sector is expanding faster than the economy. Indian healthcare sector is expected to reach ₹19.57 lakh crore (USD 280 billion) by 2020-21. Global healthcare is spending expected to rise at a CAGR of 5 percent in 2019-23, while India’s healthcare market is expected to grow at >15 percent.

On budgetary allocation in healthcare
The government’s expenditure on the health sector has grown to 1.6 percent of the GDP in FY20 from 1.3 percent in FY16. The government has shown intent to increase its public health spending to 2.5 percent of the country’s GDP by 2025. Healthcare’s share of GDP is expected to rise by 19.7 percent by 2027. Though it is much less than the developed economies, the budgetary allocation is showing improving trend.

On budgetary allocation for the fiscal year 2020-21
European countries typically spend around USD 53 per person on medical equipment per year, Japan more than USD 92, and the United States more than USD 118. In India and in Asia thay spend only around USD 12. However, the private health providers like ours have understood the need to invest in advanced healthcare technology and using it to provide advanced healthcare, whether it be for introducing surgical robots, intra-operative MRI’s, or advanced cancer therapy machines.

On vision for health and family welfare
India needs a healthy population to develop and prosper. It will become a reality only when we can achieve universal health coverage. My vision is that through a concerted, preventive, and promotive healthcare, and enabling universal access to good quality health service every Indian should be able to achieve best possible level of health and well-being.

On monitoring the quality of private healthcare
Private healthcare providers are voluntarily getting accredited and maintaining standards as per the NABH. For a country as large as us, there are only around 700 odd hospitals that are accredited and maintaining the required standards. Every healthcare provider whether state or private should adhere to standards which aim to improve the healthcare delivery. Governments should take active role in driving up the standards of both state and private players.

On public private partnership in making healthcare a success
The private sector in India today accounts for 58 percent of the hospitals and 81 percent of the doctors in India. Public-private-partnership (PPP) refers to an arrangement between the government and the private sector, with the principal objective of providing public infrastructure, community facilities, and other related services. I feel PPPs are about changing the way in which the government does business and interacts with the private sector, to introduce the private sectors’ expansive, skills, experience and finance into the wide range of public sector activities for new and innovative solutions. For a country like us it is important to use our resources, whether in public or private hands, to improve the healthcare delivery.

On areas where government should invest to make healthcare available to everyone
Nations need a healthy population to prosper. Stepping up investment in public healthcare is pivotal to sustaining India’s economic growth. The government should focus more on primary care and preventive care, while facilitating advanced care using various partnerships with insurance and private healthcare providers.

On policy interventions
We have a population of 1.4 billion. Our country needs more doctors and specialists to accommodate growing healthcare needs. Creating more medical colleges is a necessity today. All heavy investment and long-gestation industries should get industry status so that they can get long-term loans at special rates. Hospitals and clinics depend on machinery to a large extent. The government should lower the tax on import of equipment essential for treatment of patients. India needs international standards of medical facilities to offer quality healthcare services, and taxes should not become a barrier to achieving this.

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