Over 100 healthcare innovators will meet in Delhi on November 19 to find ways to enable the poor in the world’s second most populous nation access high-end medical facilities that remains largely out of bound for them.
Bankrolled by Wish India Foundation, the initiative with active support from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India will find means and ways so that the poor can derive benefits from specially designed low cost glucometer, urine analyzer and tele-connected Health ATM and other devices that the poor can access at relatively less price.
Wish Foundation’s ambitious plan is in sync with New Delhi’s universal health plan that seeks to benefit a sixth of the world population at a whopping $26 billion over the next four years.
As many as 300 national, state, community and international leaders from both private and government sectors will discuss easy medical options for the poor during the conference, the first of its kind in the country.
“Innovation is the key to modern healthcare. The idea behind WISH emerged out of my passion for innovation, which I've been personally involved for over 30 years and affordable healthcare. I wanted to find a way to channel these two personal passions to help the poor in India,” says Sunil Wadhwani, founder, Wish Foundation India.
Wadhwani, whose foundation has worked with result innovative institutions like Carnegie-Mellon University, feels blending healthcare and innovation is the key to tackling medical issues for India’s 1.2 billion people who need to be adequately covered.
“We need to think about the poor,” adds Wadhwani.
Wish Foundation India has already partnered with the state government of India’s northwestern Rajasthan state, offering eleven low cost, yet highly promising, innovations, capable of strengthening the state’s primary healthcare delivery with a special focus on mother and child healthcare. Currently, the project is in operation in two districts of the desert state.
The participants feel the 300 scaled up innovations could transform the face of the Indian healthcare system in ten years.