The Union government needs to seriously consider increasing spends on healthcare and grant the sector an industry status as access to quality healthcare will alone make India inclusive, said Preetha Reddy, executive vice chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises.
Indian healthcare providers both in the private and public sector are now working to increasingly install advanced medical devices and information technology solutions to bring in efficiency and transparency. This was the only way to ensure speed of treatment access to patients, Reddy told Pharmabiz in an interaction.
The adoption of latest systems is seen a visible trend on the healthcare providers landscape. For instance, Big Data has already started making its mark in the Healthcare repository systems and will continue to play a prominent role in the years to come. Electronic records, decision support tools, prescription and treatment information will all soon be automated and be available on the worldwide web. Another pattern that is emerging and can gain momentum is the shift of healthcare delivery from hospitals and nursing homes to patient homes. With advancement in technologies, patients can now be monitored and checked on through videos, live feeds and other instruments. This would not only help reduce costs and increase convenience for patients but also has the potential to revolutionise how healthcare is accessed and delivered, she said.
We have advanced tremendously both in medical expertise and technology. Initially, when we had just launched Apollo Hospitals with an objective of bringing healthcare of international standards to India, many thought it was an over ambitious project and not practical. But now, with the right talent and support from government we have established ourselves as one amongst the foremost integrated healthcare service providers in the world. While countries in South Asia and Middle East North Africa (MENA) have the basic healthcare infrastructure in place, they unfortunately do not have access to specialised tertiary healthcare services. This is the gap that we are trying to bridge by providing specialised services to those countries that lack the infrastructure and manpower, she pointed out.
This is where proactive initiatives by the government to improve medical tourism in India have been appreciated by the healthcare sector. The recent announcement of immediate medical VISA for SAARC patients will be an important catalyst in healthcare growth and development, pointed out the Apollo Hospitals executive vice chairperson.
In order to garner growth the healthcare sector would opt for Greenfield expansions as an option. There is need to improvise and equip the infrastructure to keep pace with the latest developments. Collaborations with organisations that have already established their presence is also a way to bring in the necessary medical and technical expertise, and provide access to tertiary healthcare, said Reddy.