“India has invested in the healthcare sector for the last 70 years, yet the needs of 70% of the population are met by the private sector,” said Ayushman Bharat CEO Indu Bhushan.
While there have been significant efforts to alleviate poverty, nearly six crore people are driven to poverty each year due to healthcare expenses.
“India is one of the fastest growing economy, yet government spending is low. Ayushman Bharat will address these paradoxes,” Mr. Bhushan said.
The Ayushman Bharat CEO was speaking at an event recently organised by the Goa Institute of Management (GIM).
Also present at the event were Sujatha Rao, former Union Health Secretary; Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, CEO, Narayana Health; and Joy Chakraborty, COO, P.D. Hinduja Hospital.
Mr. Bhushan added, “The ambitious programme aims to offer access to affordable healthcare to the people who need it the most while also offering financial protection from high expenses on healthcare. The programme will also generate employment and create healthcare infrastructure, including hospitals in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.”
GIM director Ajit Parulekar said in a release: “Ayushman Bharat is a much debated subject within healthcare circles today, which has thrown up many questions. What are the planned metrics? How can it instil confidence in the poor? What is its impact on pricing and products? All this and more is being debated here today. This conference is aligned with GIM’s objective of being a management thought-promoter and providing a platform for meaningful discussions in the healthcare domain.”
