Dialogue on health should be more participatory: Montek

Dialogue on health should be made more participatory and involve pharmaceutical companies as well as general practitioners and hospitals, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said Tuesday.

A discussion consisting independent experts and stakeholders in healthcare should be set up for generating ideas for the mid-term appraisal of the 12th five-year plan, due for next year, he said.

"There is already a consensus on the priorities that have to be assigned to the health segment but what holds that back is the differences in the perception as to how to go about it and implement them," Ahluwalia said here giving the keynote address at the 10th India Health Summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the union health ministry.

Ahluwalia said the ongoing dialogue on health should be made more participatory.

"We have to involve the pharmaceutical companies, which play an important part in rolling out the health infrastructure in terms of pricing of medicines and making them affordable to the common man.

"We have to hold discussions with general medical practitioners apart from hospitals," he added.

Naresh Trehan, chairman, CII national committee on healthcare said India needs to address multiple health challenges emanating from communicable and non-communicable diseases, which entailed huge budgetary allocations.

He said the private sector could play a crucial role particularly in the secondary and tertiary sectors and for making existing national assets in healthcare to function effectively and efficiently.

Shivinder Mohan Singh, executive vice chairman, Fortis Healthcare India Ltd, said there was need for building trust with the patients to roll out an effective healthcare system.

Innovation, technology and grooming of a talented group of medical practitioners and paramedicals were critical for developing a sound healthcare system, he said.