Models to improve access of medicine to poor and initiation of policy interventions to develop healthcare infrastructure was widely deliberated at the recently concluded Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) Healthcare Summit in Mumbai.

On the occasion, OPPI Healthcare Access Award 2014 was conferred upon founder of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) Padma Bhushan D R Mehta for enabling 1.4 million handicapped people through Jaipur Foot, which is today hailed as the largest prosthesis provider in over 26 countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. YES Bank knowledge report- Access to Health was also released on the occasion.   

Suggestions that government purchase bulk medicine to offer to public at affordable price, create health care delivery infrastructure in rural areas and investment funds for developing life-saving products, vaccines, biosimilars and New Chemical Entities (NCEs) came to the fore during the summit.  

Dr Shailesh Ayyangar, president, OPPI on the sidelines of the summit said that model of access to healthcare should be developed in the light of the fact that 30 per cent children in rural areas are not immunised as of today. There is a need to innovate best practices in healthcare and address huge gaps in medical infrastructure in the country taking also into account the rising middle class in urban metros.

On a worldwide basis, generic prices in India are the lowest across therapy areas. Even for patented products, prices in India are generally lowest across many emerging markets. "Despite lower prices, the access of medicine remains a challenge due to lack of healthcare infrastructure in India," argued Pankaj Patel, MD, Cadila Healthcare.

IMS analysis also suggest that drug prices in India has not risen drastically. Drug price increase in the last 7 years has never been drastic and remained lower than rate of inflation. On an average medicine contributes less than 13 per cent of overall healthcare cost.

Indian Pharma industry has improved access of life saving medicines (like biosimilars, vaccines) in India, responded to public health emergency and provided access to affordable medicines. Around 86 per cent of people in Africa with AIDS are on treatment with affordable and high-quality medicine provided by India.

Opined Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Healthcare Consultant, "There is a need for building infrastructure, expanding awareness, greater use of technology, capacity building and universal health coverage. One - third of population has limited healthcare access and no comprehensive healthcare policy. Two million people need heart surgeries, only 51 per cent get it. There are 12 million blind people and 70 per cent don't have access to cataract surgery."

Healthcare delivery segment in India is urban centric. Private sector constitutes 75 per cent of the sector and is expected to grow at higher rate than public sector. The delivery space is urban centric, highly fragmented (dominated by smaller nursing homes and private players). As healthcare sector expands, government would need to increase its participation in the sector.

Despite pubic spending on healthcare at just 1.2 per cent of the GDP, India's healthcare industry has been growing at a CAGR of 15 per cent and is expected to touch USD 250 billion by 2020. Informed Amit Backliwal, MD, IMS, "The government of India strives to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for the Indian population by 2022. Public spending in healthcare is projected to increase to 67 per cent of total healthcare spend from current 25 per cent. District hospitals would be strengthened to meet needs of 95 per cent of the district population." Other highlights of the government's plan in healthcare is that the number of hospital beds to be 2 functional beds per 1000 population by 2022 to achieve universal health coverage.

"We need another 650,000 beds at a cost of $28 billion. Around 85per cent of this money will come from the private sector. Around 3.9 per cent of GDP is spent on healthcare with Low Medical Income Class (LMIS) average as 5.7 per cent. Government spend needs to increase from 1per cent to at least 3 per cent," suggested Dr Ram Narain, chief executive officer, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai.

In 2012, Indian companies helped US health system to improve access by saving US$ 100 billion.  Concludes consumer activist, Bejon Misra, "There is a need to include patient as a consumer in the broader framework of a comprehensive healthcare policy."