‘Improving Accessibility to Safe and Quality Healthcare’

The Aware Consumer, a platform playing a pioneering role in raising awareness about consumer safety and rights, organized a webinar on ‘Improving Accessibility to Safe and Quality Healthcare’.

The virtual dialogue was supported by the Patient Safety and Access Initiative of India Foundation (PSAIIF), and the Consumer Online Foundation.

The panel discussions further brought about insights on how the challenge in the present scenario is around optimal utilization of resources and ensuring patient safety.

Speaking at the event, Rajesh Bhushan (IAS), secretary, ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW), GoI, said, “Since the last 10 months, the government and society have battled a pandemic. Among the learnings gained, the biggest one has perhaps been the need to focus on one approach within the government and society and multi-stakeholder collaboration between the government and private sector. The need of the hour is access, equity, and transparency. This is also a time when digital infrastructure can complement physical infrastructure. The government can lay the foundation (as also exemplified by the National Digital Health Mission) and private players can support these initiatives.”

Consumer interests are at the centre of any successful healthcare delivery system and public private partnerships, investment in innovation, and technology are the need of the hour. It is also important for the government to enable competition to make the healthcare delivery system most affordable.

Adding further, Bejon Misra, founder director, PSAIIF, New Delhi, said, “Digital technology is going to be the enabler that will help India achieve the vision of the National Health Policy 2017.There is a need for multimedia campaigns and a citizen portal similar to JAGO GRAHAK JAGO. This can become a robust awareness and education initiative for patients and caregivers in terms of their rights around access to safe, credible and quality information. Further, it will enable them in making an informed choice in consultation with registered medical practitioners of all pathys and sciences and experts.

Dharmil Sheth, co-chair, Digital Health Platforms, and co-founder, PharmEasy said, “Universal coverage to quality health care is the need of the hour today and digital technology can become the enabler. The current government schemes face bottlenecks in terms of distribution and proper reach and infrastructure. All these can be addressed to a large extent with technology. Digital health can revolutionise the way India deals with healthcare delivery by not just helping in preventive management, but by also playing a catalytic role in the entire continuum of care from tracking data to preventing an epidemic through ensuring timely medical intervention. He further emphasized that a vibrant e-pharmacy remains a vital tool in the implementation of the National Digital Health Mission. e-Pharmacies in the country align very well with the national development objectives and has clear and tangible benefits to consumers as well as the industry.

Reference: Pharmabiz