‘India should increase the manufacturing of local goods and medical equipment’
- Preventive healthcare should be treated as separate segment and tax redemption bar should be increased from Rs 5000 to Rs15, 000 since the cover is meant not just for one individual but for the family members as well. The healthcare expenses are very high and that’s why the category has to be made separate to meet the basic needs of the family in totality
- The corporates who have a preventive health checkup policy or invest in preventive health checkup for its employees should be given extra benefits. This can be compared to the benefits accorded to the companies who invest in R&D
- Need to create personal health records and encourage screening of diseases amongst the population
- Encourage innovative affordable technology and local made products. Provide opportunities to importers to bring new equipment models that are more effective as well as affordable. Reduce the import duty on healthcare equipment.
- India should increase the manufacturing of local goods and medical equipment
- We are hopeful that more emphasis would now be made on preventive healthcare services
- We need a strong regulatory forum to bring improvement to overall healthcare industry
- I would urge the new government to form a separate department with experts to address strong concerns about health of the country
– Amol Naikawadi, Joint MD, Indus Health Plus
‘This success is the voice of half a billion people’
This success is the voice of half a billion people who exercised their franchise and made their choice in this historic Lok Sabha election. The people of India are looking for an accelerated pace of change and have huge expectations from their new leadership. Health should be declared a national priority as inclusive economic growth inherently demands a first-rate healthcare system, one that is affordable and accessible. The new government needs to drastically increase public spending on health, create a road map for universal health coverage, corporatise medical education and take decisive steps to remove the barriers of accessibility, cost and quality that continue to plague India’s healthcare system. Smart steps to progress need to also include a liberalised visa regime for medical tourists.
An equally urgent need is to make the direct tax code and GST a reality, early on. Apollo Hospitals looks forward to working closely with the central administration and will extend all possible support in building a more robust healthcare system in India.
– Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group
‘The new government will help create strong governance and healthcare environment for growth’
Till date we have not got a health minister who has sound knowledge of pharma and the medical field, one who would lead the health ministry to great levels. Before Narendra Bhai Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat, the medical facilities were not upto the mark. However, when Modi came to power he bought about drastic changes in the state and applied various models in healthcare sector which benefitted even the people from the below poverty line cadre. Healthcare is always a costly affair, hence the health ministry should offer affordable services and this can be attained by providing better insurance services. Modi very well knew of the benefits of insurance and he implemented various insurance schemes along with free ambulance services (Dial 108). India is one of the most populated countries where healthcare and education are priorities. However until now nothing much has been done in the case of these priorities. Till date, the part of the budget that went for healthcare was quite meagre, I hope that the new leadership will increase the share for healthcare in the budget. I am very impressed by the Gujarat model of development, be it in the field of infrastructure or healthcare. We believe that the new government will be a progressive one and help create strong governance and healthcare environment for growth. Good governance will be in place and corruption will be out of MCI. As promised, the new government will provide the AIIMS facility in all hospitals across the country. Apart from concentrating on the economy we are certain he will give importance to the healthcare sector and ensure that we can facilitate world class treatment not just in a few cities but pan-India. I would urge the new government to form a separate department with experts on drugs as currently drugs fall under the chemical and fertiliser department and somehow gets mismanaged. Given the strong mandate that Modi has received, I believe he is ready to take tough decisions and provide healthcare to all by 2020.
– Dr Pavan Kumar, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon & Head of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery – Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai
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