Bureaucrat for pvt sector and govt tie up for affordable healthcare

HYDERABAD: Accessibility, affordability and quality of healthcare are major challenges for healthcare in India, Telangana Principal Secretary (Health) Rajesh Tiwari said as he called for private and government to come together to provide affordable healthcare to public.

Speaking at a one-day national seminar on Healthcare Management (NASHCAM) organised by ICFAI University at its campus here, Tiwari said this year state's healthcare budget has increased by Rs 1,000 crore.

"For 2016-17, the government has allocated Rs 5,967 crores for healthcare sector. By identifying the need for professional management in hospitals, as a pilot project, five professional healthcare managers have been recruited in state-run Gandhi Hospital here this year. This highlights the need for the professional healthcare management in India," he said.

Apollo Hospitals CEO Y Subramanyam pointed out that the manpower in healthcare industry in 2013 was 35.9 lakhs in India. By 2022, healthcare industry is going to provide employment to 74 lakhs individuals in India, he said.