Calling Public Private Partnership as the only solution to vast prevailing disparity in healthcare, he appealed to the industry, cooperatives and the NGOs for support specifically in strengthening healthcare delivery systems, drugs distribution, use of Information Technology (IT), latest technologies and enhanced pharma supply chain management.

Dr. Prasad said that, “We are ready to support you with funds, even in converting the district hospitals into world class Medical Hospitals but industry will have to ensure proper delivery systems and strengthened supply chain, so that the facilities and medicines reach even the last person in the remotest areas”. Each year 39 million people in India enter BPL category due to poor delivery of healthcare services. To confront this, industry has to by-pass the rules and regulations and bureaucratic bottlenecks and find out innovative ways.

Highlighting the solution to this challenge, he called for “Integration of working of five key ministries i.e the Ministry for Rural Development, Women & Child welfare, Water, Urban sanitation, Education and health. Presently, we all are working in isolation of each other and do not know what the other ministries are doing. If these five ministries can derive coordinated campaigns and launch joint schemes, then we would be far better equipped to provide quality healthcare to each and every individual of this country.

He also recommends altering the constitution to make Healthcare a Centre subject, which is presently a state subject. The state governments and bureaucracy are not as proactive as they should be. In 12th Five year plan, we have decided to develop 20 National Cancer Centers at a cost of 120 crores and open AIIMS in all states to create ideal healthcare centers with world class standards at Rs 50 crore each and would ask state governments to replicate similar standards in others as well.

Dr. Ranjit Chaudhary, Principal Advisor to  Health Minister highlighted that, “ We would soon launch a scheme called ‘Healthcare Assurance for all citizens’ which would cover each and every citizen of the country. Presently, only 25 % of our population is insured. We are also working towards providing transparency in drug manufacturing. We would soon launch a web portal for the citizens and manufacturers, where applications, registration and licenses etc can be easily done. In rural areas, we are planning to build teams of 2-3 types of persons including Ayush practitioners, whom we would provide 1 year ‘bridging course’.  Use of IT for better healthcare is also high on the agenda of the new government.