Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that for a country like India, Public-Private synergy is imperative to meet global benchmarks in healthcare. A healthy supplementation of the resources from the two sides can also help provide world-class medical care at affordable rates, he said.
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, was delivering the Inaugural Address at the 15th Global MedTech Summit 2023 organised by CII in New Delhi.
Stating that there is no more room for scepticism, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the policy planning changes during the nine years of leadership under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have created mutual trust between public and private sectors.
“There is scope for huge synergy between the Public Institutions and Private Industry in the MedTech & BioTech sectors besides Healthcare sector in general,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh, himself a Medical Professional and known Diabetologist, cited the success of Mission Suraksha that helped India tide over the Covid pandemic and Ayushman Bharat, the world’s largest health insurance scheme and the only one of its kind that provides cover against existing disease. He said, Government is committed to make India a global Med-Tech leader.
“Government has framed policies like the Promotion of Research & Innovation in Pharma MedTech Scheme (PRIP) Scheme, the New Medical Device Policy, the development of the Bima SUGAM portal by 2024, and the revamping of the new Drugs, Medical Devices & Cosmetics Bill, that will propel the Healthcare and MedTech sector,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said PM Modi has created the right ecosystem within the Government that supports and augments Innovation. Citing the huge success of Startups, Dr Jitendra Singh said the Prime Minister has created the milieu for entrepreneurship and a thriving industry.
“After the success of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the Prime Minister has set aspirations for fulfilling global benchmarks, global strategies and global outlook,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, PM Modi has stressed that the age of working in silos is over and that we have work together with the private sector to unlock the vast potential of our unexploited resources. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF), envisaged by PM Modi, will spur R&D and position India as a global R&D leader in next 5 years.
“Anusandhan NRF will combine scientific and technological innovation and the wisdom of humanities and social sciences. It will be majorly funded by the non-government resources. Anusandhan will be, in many ways, better than the United States NRF,” he said.
In order to make Bharat Aatma Nirbhar and achieve the goal of a Viksit Bharat during the Amritkaal, Dr Jitendra Singh said the private sector has to stop looking up to the Government every time.
“We have to change our mindset. Having lost our roots after two centuries of colonial rule, it would take three generations to rediscover our sanskaar,” he quipped.
Dr Vinod K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, in his address, said that the success of enabling a healthy India can be powered by the reformed R&D capabilities, increasing domestic manufacturing scale, industry-academia collaborations, and global partnerships.
Ms. S. Aparna- Secretary, DOP, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers, Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India, CDSCO, Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman, CII National Healthcare Council, were among others dignitaries who spoke on the occasion.
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