Healthcare takes centre-stage in policy narrative: Niti Aayog

Healthcare has taken centre-stage of the policy narrative, and there is a need for breaking silos between various stakeholders in the health space, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said Friday.

Kumar, while addressing Niti Aayog's 'Dialogue on Health System for New India', further said that POSHAN Abhiyan and Ayushman Bharat can be an innovative model to view integrated health systems.

Speaking at the same event, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said it is time to bring the patient to the centre of healthcare narrative.

The time has come to evolve a world-class health system, which is transformative and uniquely Indian, Kant added.

"It is estimated that if the required decisions in terms of creating a functioning health system are taken then it shall reduce adult deaths by up to 16 per cent by 2030, thereby increasing economic growth up to 32 per cent," an official statement said.

It is also estimated that breaking programmatic silos and integration of various schemes within a systems approach will lead to reduction in avoidable out-of-pocket expenses to about 45 per cent of total health spending by 2030, the statement added.

The Niti Aayog today organised a day-long dialogue on 'Health System for A New India: Building Blocks'.

The dialogue was the first in the series of the Aayog's 'Development Dialogues' that aims to facilitate multi-sectoral conversations on India's developmental issues.