''Commitment to primary healthcare is strong...'': NITI Ayog's Dr VK Paul at 'FICCI HEAL 2023'

New Delhi: Underscoring the initiatives taken by the Government of India to ensure access to quality healthcare, Dr Vinod K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog on Friday reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen the primary healthcare system in the country.

Addressing the session 'Perspectives on Healthcare' on the second day of the 17th edition of 'FICCI HEAL 2023', Dr Paul called for support from the private sector to deliver quality healthcare.

"Commitment to primary healthcare is strong and I look forward to the opportunity to go in that direction. We are looking forward to a bigger partnership in secondary and tertiary care," Dr Paul said.

"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 and Founder and Chief Radiologist, Mahajan Imaging and Labs stressed 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 panellists emphasised the adoption of the latest technology and innovations to deliver quality healthcare.

(Hony) Brig Dr Arvind Lal, Chair-FICCI Swasth Bharat (Public Health) Task Force; Executive Chairman, Dr Lal PathLabs Ltd, and Chairman, ALVL Foundation 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.

On the occasion, Dr Akshay Jain, Joint Director, National Health Authority, Govt of India 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 digital format, even at the primary care level.

"The President inaugurated the Ayushman Bhava campaign in September. In this campaign, we are conducting door-to-door surveys, organising Ayushman Melas, enrolling all the beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana, and issuing their insurance cards. We are reaching every village and every door to ensure that everyone obtains an Aadhar ID. Through this mass campaign, we aim to increase the population coverage of the insurance scheme as well as advance our digital mission," he said.

FICCI HEAL 2023 concluded with a special session on 'Empowering Her Health'. This year, the theme of the two-day event was 'Healthcare METAmorphosis'.