Patricia Hewitt, Chair, UK India Business Council, has called for collaboration between India and UK in the healthcare sector, especially in the context of skills development.
Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry's seminar on ‘healthcare skills and employability’ here on Tuesday, she said, “The UK sees India as leading the world in frugal innovation in healthcare services. To deliver healthcare in a cost effective way, we have to reshape healthcare professionals by designing training programmes at various levels.”
Referring to non-infectious lifestyle diseases like diabetes and obesity, she stressed the need to address their spread under universal healthcare systems of both the countries.
“The UK is also faced with aging problem and India has challenges in inclusive growth and poverty eradication. Hence the challenge is to do more in a cost-effective way” she added.
B. Ashok Reddy, vice-chairman, CII Andhra Pradesh chapter, said there was a need for greater focus on skills development and employability in view of the expected rise in non-invasive technology, targeted therapies and gene profiling, among others.
Dr. Savita Date Menon, co-convenor, Healthcare Panel, CII and Head, R & D, Apollo Life and Roy Newey, co-chair, UK India Skills Forum (UKISF) also spoke.
