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NEW DELHI: Addressing the 2nd “Healthcare Summit” of “American Chamber of India” (AMCHAM) at Hotel Taj here, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised the use of latest technology for accessible, affordable healthcare.
The Minister also described India among the top 6 Bio-manufacturers of the world with one of the most cost-effective and efficacy-based Bio-manufacturing as well as cost-effective healthcare destination,
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said in his opening remarks, “I would like to extend my gratitude to AMCHAM for organizing this pivotal healthcare summit and inviting me to articulate the Government’s vision for healthcare in India.” He expressed his happiness at being a part of the fraternity gathering and discussing the subject of health, which is his area of interest.
Incidentally, the Minister is himself a renowned endocrinologist with a three-decade long career in medicine. He pressed on the new burden of metabolic disorders and the challenges it posed with a wide spectrum of diseases and an increased life span bringing novel diseases.
The Minister appreciated the theme of the summit, i.e., ‘Accelerating Innovative and Accessible Healthcare: Technology Transformation.’ He said the theme is quite relevant to India’s contemporary health issues and government efforts to ensure affordable healthcare for all.
Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored that summits of this nature are instrumental in convening key stakeholders-healthcare professionals, technology experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to deliberate on fortifying the U.S.-India partnership in healthcare.
Speaking on the transformation in healthcare brought about in recent times, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision for a healthy India with the elimination of communicable diseases and reduction in non-communicable diseases, developing health indices and making steady progress.” He said, “India carried out the world’s largest vaccination drive in COVID pandemic; this reaffirms that Modi Govt. 3.0 firmly believes that accessible healthcare is a right for every citizen.
“Gone are the days when people used to visit other developed nations to access medical facilities; now India has become a hub and is the most sought-after destination for medical tourism and among the frontline nations in preventive healthcare.” According to the Science and Technology Minister, in the last decade, healthcare has been a priority sector for the government. He recalled the achievements such as the Ayushman Card which ensured cashless medical treatment to the citizens. The Digital healthcare mission, PM Jan Aaushadi and its integration with other medical streams such as Ayush.
Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that technology plays a crucial role in ensuring equitable access to healthcare. Technology is revolutionizing the healthcare sector, and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools can significantly enhance our capabilities by leveraging technology, we can enhance efficiency, reduce wait times, and improve overall healthcare delivery. Sharing his experience with Telemedicine, the minister shared how it has transformed healthcare and made services accessible even to the remotest villages in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized the increased cooperation in the public and private sectors. It is important to understand that public health is not just the responsibility of the government; private participation is equally important and we as a society as a whole have to take steps in the right direction. The Minister said opening up of the Space sector had ushered a private investment of more than Rs 1,000 crore within a few months and boosted the Startup numbers from one startup in 2022 to 200 plus startups currently and having global capacity.
The Minister also recalled the efforts of the Department of Biotechnology and their achievements for fostering research and development in translational health sciences. He said the Bio- manufacturing and bio-foundry has grown 10 times from $13 billion in 2014 to $130 billion in 2024.
Highlighting the vitality of the pharmaceutical sector the minister said, “India supplies four out of every ten prescriptions filled in the U.S, highlighting our pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.” Going further he highlighted that partnership between India and the United States is critical.
Ranjana Khanna Director General, CEO AMCHAM; Mr Som Satsangi, Chairman, AMCHAM & Sr Vice President and MD, India Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India; Mr. Madan Krishnan, Vice President and Managing Director India Subcontinent, Boston Scientific and Mr Chaitanya Sarawate, Managing Director Wipro GE Healthcare also participated in the Summit.
