President Pratibha Patil has called upon the pharmaceutical industry in the country to respond to the emerging patterns of diseases and to the growing concerns of disease causing agents becoming resistant to existing drugs. The President was inaugurating the 71st FIP world congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in Hyderabad, on September 4, 2011.

Addressing a gathering of about 2000 delegates from across the pharma industry which included pharmacists and pharma scientists from across 80 countries, Patil said that pharmacist and pharmaceutical scientists should increase their focus on R&D, including the newer frontiers of medicine like biotechnology. “With its proven IT sector, demonstrated leadership in biotechnology, India has a vast pool of trained personnel available at lower cost, the country can emerge as a significant player in global pharmaceutical research,” the President added.

Inaugurating the event, the President said that in spite of advances in Medical science and technology, a large part of the population across the globe, especially in the developing countries, has no access to healthcare or essential medicines at affordable cost.

Patil further added that most illnesses were treatable with medicines. It was, however, estimated that more than 50 per cent of all medicines worldwide were prescribed, dispensed, or sold inappropriately and about 50 per cent patients failed to take them correctly. “By 2015, the Indian pharma industry is expected to become a $12 billion industry from its present turnover of $12 billion. It is already the third largest in the world in volume. Indian generic drugs have helped bring down the cost of treatment of various diseases which includes HIV/AIDS,” she said.

Top dignitaries present at the gathering, among others, were E.S.L Narasimhan, Governor of Andhra Pradesh and N Kiran Kumar Reddy, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

In his address, Reddy said, “Lakhs of poor people have been benefited from the Arogyasri health insurance scheme. Earlier due to high cost, poor people were not able to afford quality medication, but with the successful implementation of Arogyasri we are able to reach our desired goals and stood as an example for others.” He further claimed that US president, Barak Obama had taken a cue from the Arogyasri medical insurance scheme of the AP government to promise a similar programme for the US citizens.