The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘Arogyasri can be replicated’

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Thursday, Nov 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Arogyasri can be replicated’

Special Correspondent

Meet explores potential of healthcare in public private partnership mode

HYDERABAD: Arogyasri, which transformed health care delivery in the State by providing high-end tertiary medicare free of cost to the poor, could be replicated at the national level, speakers at health conference said here on Wednesday.

The conference which was aimed at exploring the potential in healthcare in public private partnership (PPP) mode emphasised that Arogyasri proved how a radical rethink of policies and practices could benefit larger sections of society.

Bigger scheme

Mr. P. K. Agarwal, Principal Secretary, Health, said despite the global economy slowdown, health sector in A.P. would grow by leaps and bounds. Besides Arogyasri , government mounted even a bigger scheme to improve delivery of primary health care through 104, 108 services in rural areas. The aim was to bring down morbidity rate in State by 50 per cent and institutionalise 100 per cent deliveries and child immunisation in rural areas with the entrepreneurial talent of private sector and technology support.

Dr. Varma Vegesna, convener-CII AP, said the PPP mode also offered great potential to healthcare industry for improving hospital infrastructure and equipment, procurement of drugs and disposables, non-clinical services including diagnostics, IT.

New era

Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, in her key note address, said the success of Arogyasri health insurance scheme would herald a new era of health care in the country.

Yet, she cautioned that healthcare cost would rise at two per cent higher than the GDP growth.

For instance in US, 16 per cent of GDP was spent on health even while considerable sections were outside insurance cover.

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