Pvt players must help set up bulk drug, med devices pak: Mandaviya

Private sector should come forward to develop bulk drug and medical devices parks in the country and the government could support them in this, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.

The government is taking measures to ensure that the Indian healthcare sector becomes self-reliant, he said in his inaugural address at the 'Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene Expo 2020' organised by industry body Ficci.

"Private sector should come forward to make such parks, and the government can support them. This would provide impetus for the growth of the healthcare sector," Mandaviya said.

Both the central and state governments can become partners with equity, and they can exit at a later stage, once the project is operational, as the role of the government is not to run the business, he added.

"The Covid-19 crisis has taught us many things, it has also given us an opportunity to develop and to decide on the future direction for India's pharma and medical sector," Mandaviya said.

The minister also said India can progress, if health and hygiene are also included in the overall economic development plan. The country has to link health, sanitation and hygiene, as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Health must be linked to the nation's economic development, he added.

"The government is aggressively working in the healthcare sector and results have also started coming," Mandaviya said.

Highlighting the strength of the healthcaresector, Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Prathap C Reddy said, "In India, today, we can easily perform treatments which can be done in any part of the world. We have a large number of people employed in healthcare. We can double and triple it. India can become a global healthcare destination".

In similar vein, FICCI President Sangita Reddy said, "Let us create a self-sufficient India to serve the country, and let us also strengthen our sector so that India can serve the world in healthcare.