The BD India MD was speaking at a CII Panel on Universal Healthcare: Making it a reality
New Delhi, Dec 16 2016: With lack of access to quality and affordable healthcare one of the major challenges impacting a large section of the Indian population, healthcare experts say India needs to adopt a twin approach of fostering public-private partnerships and promoting innovative solutions to significantly improve accessibility and delivery.
Speaking at a CII Panel on ‘Universal Healthcare – Stepping in the sun: Making it a reality’, Varun Khanna, Managing Director – BD India said working in collaboration with innovative solutions and intelligent delivery designs are the way forward if India has to achieve its goal of ‘healthcare for all’. He said with almost two thirds of healthcare services in India being currently provided by the private sector, the government cannot achieve its goal without extensively engaging private players in its efforts to expand healthcare delivery to every part of the country.
BD is a leading global medical technology company that is advancing the world of health by improving discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of medical care through research and innovation.
“Indian healthcare system is plagued by extreme inequities. I believe that shared value can enhance competitiveness of any organization and also advance social and economic conditions in the communities in which it operates. We should understand the impact of working collaboratively across the healthcare ecosystem and bring a paradigm shift towards sustainable and transformational patient care for the future,” said Khanna, while sharing the panel with esteemed representatives of hospitals, public health experts and health insurance providers.
For large scale penetration of the Indian healthcare market, affordability (approximately 70% of all healthcare expenditure is out of pocket) and accessibility are key considering that nearly 70% of India’s population lives in rural areas with no or limited access to healthcare. 65-70% of the healthcare infrastructure and manpower is present in urban areas, while only ~30% of the country’s population lives in these regions.