New Delhi, Nov. 15: Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss today urged the healthcare industry to join hands with the government to bring down the maternal and infant mortality rate in the country.

“For if the world needs to succeed, India needs to succeed, ” he said while delivering the valedictory session of the two-day 4th India Health Summit – “Healthcare Engagement: Strategies and Partnerships” held by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the India Health Care Federation here on Wednesday.

Ramadoss said under the National Health Mission, the centre is working to empower the states to deal with maternal and infant mortality, nutrition, hygiene and other health related issues. He also sough a commitment from the industry to keep the healthcare and medical treatment cost low. In this regard, he said the government will provide incentives to medical equipment makers in the country so that the cost benefit goes to the poor.

The minister also disclosed that a Clinical Establishment Act would soon be in place to ensure standardization of diagnostic centres across the country.

Ramadoss said the government is willing to walk with the industry to work out a public private partnership model in various fields like setting up medical colleges, rolling out insurance schemes and promoting traditional systems of medicine. He said the National Emergency and Trauma Programme was a step in the direction. Under this programme, anyone can call up one number across the country to access any type of medical help.

He said six AIIMS like institutes were being set up across the country, in which the healthcare industry should make their contribution as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

Summing up the conference recommendations, Ms Suneeta Reddy, Conference Chairperson and Executive Director- Finance, Apollo Hospitals Group said the industry would soon present a white paper on the action plan to provide healthcare to all.

She said the industry was keen to work with the government on a PPP model in rural and urban healthcare and focus on education to increase the manpower required by the industry. She said the industry’s vision to take the healthcare industry ahead of the IT industry and make it the most important contributor to India’s GDP reflected their commitment in this regard.

In his concluding remarks, Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, CII National Committee on Healthcare and Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, said “we owe it our children that we facilitate in creating a healthy nation. ” In this endeavour, Dr Reddy assured the government that the private sector would work towards providing equitable and affordable healthcare to all, besides ensuring that health care delivery is a smooth affair.

Earlier in a Plenary on “Voice of the Consumer – Staying in Touch with Consumer and Communities, ” the speakers stressed on the need to increase the interface between the heathcare provider and the patient/consumer. Lack of communication is leading to general mistrust among the consumers about corporate hospitals. This is also leading to medical litigations.

They felt the voice of the consumer is important in bringing the two Indias together – the ones who can afford world class health care and the ones who can’t afford even primary healthcare. The general consensus was that providing healthcare should move from a transaction-based business to more individual-based business. The speakers were Suhasini Haider, Deputy Foreign Affairs Editor and Senior Anchor, CNBC TV 18; Suheil Seth, Managing Partner, Conselage India, Dr Parvez Ahmed, Executive Director- Medical Operations, Max Hospital Group; Dr Kushagra Katariya, Executive Director Artemis Hospital; Daljit Singh, President, Strategy and Organisational Development, Fortis Healthcare and Siddharth Luthra, a senior advocate. (ANI)