Independent India Healthcare Reality Check: Policy, Business & Technology Debate by IIHD India

New Delhi, India, August 17, 2020 –(PR.com)– On Independence Day, the International Institute for Human Development, jointly with APAC Digital News Network, organized a live debate on Healthcare Reality Check: Where Do We Go From Here? Witnessed by some of the most senior and vastly experienced people across health policy, technology and business.

The world is currently going through the worst humanitarian crisis of the century because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite significant progress made on health metrics in the last 73 years of Independence, India’s health system is under pressure because of COVID-19. The debate focused on three specific issues, first, whether India is going to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 with the new normal, second, Can a “vocal for local” vision alter India’s healthcare landscape, and third, how the economies of healthcare will change in the post COVID-19 world.

The vibrant sessions were organized in the presence of eminent panelists starting with inaugural remarks by Dr. R.K. Srivastava, Former Chairman & Board of Governors, Medical Council of India, Former Director-General of Health Service, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Followed by Dr. Damodar Bachani, Former Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Dr. Raghu Basibonia, Director Diagnostic, PerkinElmer India, Dr. Ashish Joshi, Senior Associate Dean Academic and Student Affairs, City University of New York, Mr. Vivek Joshi, Director Investment Advisor Ltd., Dr. Fareen Choudhary, ICICI Lombard and Dr. Shaik Nishan Ashraf, Tata Institute for Social Sciences, Mumbai and many more.

The panel flagged some of the key aspects ranging from policy, implementation, sustainability, data, and evidence-based solutions for India’s health system challenges. Dr. R.K Srivastava said, “India needs a full-blown digital health revolution before 2025. The National Digital Health Mission should adopt a bottom-up approach by integrating digital health in primary care, which solves the shortage of doctor, drugs, diagnosis, and timely referral to achieve targets of SDGs by building and trusting good partners in this sector.”

Dr. Damodar Bachani, Former Deputy Director-General, MoHFW, Government of India, New Delhi expressed apprehension about India achieving SDGs by 2030, however, highlighted the need for more concerted implementation efforts with a multisectoral approach to achieve SDGs. He appreciated the Government of India’s efforts in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The existing IT act of 2000 has a very narrow scope of data protection – especially health care data. The new Data Protection Bill of 2019 has not yet been enacted and ensuring this legislation is enacted at the earliest balancing the interest of the consumer with industry is critical to give momentum to the data analytics and informatics sector of healthcare,” Mukul Bagga, Managing Director, Medicom Pharmaceutical Pvt Ltd, India.

“Need of Sustainable Multisector Accessible Affordable Reimbursable Tailored (SMAART) solutions that are data-driven, evidence-based contextually and culturally relevant and can guide informed decision making in policy implementation,” Dr. Ashish Joshi, Senior Associate Dean Academic and Student Affairs, City University of New York.

Dr. Raghu Basibonia, Director – Diagnostic (South Asia), PerkinElmer said, “Self-reliance in medical device manufacturing is possible in the long run when the entire ecosystem is developed hand in hand.”

“India will now have to move forward in the new policy era with a new framework and mindset. We have to work on three-agenda points, first nurturing research and innovations; second, encouraging local but global approach in business, and third producing right skill-sets while bringing synergies between social, economic, and environment,” said Dr. Ruchi Sogarwal, Founder and CEO, International Institute for Human Development, India.

About International Institute for Human Development (IIHD)
The IIHD India is a not for profit organization committed for social impact, helps in supporting ideas, people, and organizations in transforming their vision into reality. IIHD believes that strengthening ecosystem partnership is the most essential strategy for long-term and sustainable social impact, hence, the organization work as a catalyst and aggregator to connect with/within Government, NGOs, corporate and professional associations, and academia and research institutions for skills/talent and solutions, primarily in healthcare and education sector.