The country needs to create an effective innovation ecosystem that can make healthcare better and affordable according to A Vaidheesh, president of the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI). Speaking at the annual meeting of OPPI in Mumbai, he said, “We need respect for innovation for a healthy India. We also need ease of doing business”.

The pharmaceutical industry needs to work with the government to have a good healthcare system in India, he said.

Dr Shailesh Ayyangar, Past President of OPPI also emphasized the need to create an innovation ecosystem in the interest of patients.

“Healthcare is personal hence so important. What do patients expect from their healthcare system? Do everything in our command, so that everyone has access to healthcare. We continue to work with support groups so patients are at the center of everything. India should create an innovation ecosystem that helps save patients,” said Dr Ayyangar.

Padma Bhushan Dr K I Varaprasad Reddy, founder & chairman, Shantha Biotechnics said price control is hampering new innovations in the country. India losing the game of innovation. We need policies that foster innovation, he stressed.

Dr. Reddy talked about the challenge that he had face to give India its first genetically engineered healthcare.

“We need to put a ranking for states on healthcare. At an individual as well as macro-economic level, the best patient care is to make sure people don't have to get in. From Swachh Bharat, we need to move to Swasta Bharat,” says Utkarsh Palnitkar, partner, national head – infrastructure, government & healthcare.

“Unless you disrupt the model, the gap in patient care cannot be bridged," says Abhishek Malhotra, Partner, AT Kearney India.

A lot of initiatives need to come together to improve patient care. Healthcare in India is never going to be enough, said Gautam Khanna, CEO Hinduja Hospital.

Healthcare is a public good. With the help of technology, healthcare delivery and care services can be made accessible in parts of the country, says Bart Janssens, partner & managing director, BCG.

OPPI released a book “The DNA of Care” on the occasion. This book illustrates the role of technology and medicine in the life of patients and recounts the transformation of patient care for the better.

The DNA of Care showcases patient care with stories being narrated by stakeholders involved in delivering care namely, doctors, care providers, patient care groups, technology providers with the underlying need to understand the patient better and ‘sensitise’ the entire ecosystem to work towards better patient outcomes. Patient-centricity is the driving force for delivering responsible healthcare.

The industry body also gave awards in varied categories on the occasion. Winner of the OPPI Women Scientist Award 2017 is Dr Chitra Mandal of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology. Dr Debabrata Maiti of IIT Bombay received OPPI Young Scientist Award for 2017. Dr D. Srinivasa Reddy of CSIR won the OPPI Scientist Award 2017 for his work in organic chemistry.

Merck has been awarded the OPPI HR Excellence Award and OPPI Diversity and Inclusion Award for 2017. Bilcare Ltd received the OPPI Best Vendor Awards 2017 for anti-counterfeiting solution providers and packaging material suppliers. Shire got the OPPI Sales Force Excellence Award 2017 for going for gold in customer facing excellence project. OPPI Sales Force Excellence Award 2017 went to Merck for building of 'quality of voice' in cardiovascular & metabolics team. Winners of OPPI Marketing Excellence Awards 2017 are- Qilib- Galderma for new products & Trajenta - Boehringer Ingelheim for existing products.