Conference on adapting Indian innovations in health

At a time when the western world is going through a crisis of sorts in the health care sector, a conference at the University of Oxford will explore adapting Indian innovations for better health services across the world.

The conference "Big change: Sustainable healthcare for the 21st century" will be held Nov 22-23, said a statement from the organisers.

It will focus on the need for affordable innovation that is both sustainable and can deliver health care to those who need it most.

India, being a key proponent of such innovations, will be represented by high profile health care researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and government officials like Devi Shetty of Narayana Hridayalaya, Bangalore; Health Secretary Keshav Desiraju and Balram Bhargava, professor of cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

"Innovation has an essential role to play, not only in improving health care standards around the world, but even in maintaining existing standards, given constrained funding," said Stephen MacMahon, principal director of The George Institute, one of the organisers of the conference.