Some of the recommendations are re-building community trust in healthcare systems and health force; sprucing up healthcare infra; adopting best value-based practices
The Former chief secretary of Telangana, Somesh Kumar, and chief advisor to chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao releases FTCCI’s “Vision 2030–Quality and Affordable Health for All in Telangana State Document” in a function held at Federation House of FTCCI (Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry) in Red Hills on Wednesday evening.
It was released in the presence of Padma Shri Dr G.N. Rao, Founder and Chair of LV Prasad Eye Institute and Anil Agarwal, President of FTCCI and Dr Subodh Kandamuthan, Dean of Training Programmes ASCI.
Kumar also gave away health care awards.
Addressing the gathering immediately after unveiling the document, Kumar said normally the vision documents are brought out by the governments. But, FTCCI, though the industrial body, took responsibility for bringing a vision 2030 document on health care very much laudable. We will look into the recommendations at the government level and work on them seriously, he assured
The Government of Telangana has taken up many measures to make the state “aarogya Telangana”. He highlighted various initiatives and measures taken up by the state government in the past 9 years. The government recognises that we are short on trained manpower in the healthcare sector. To address this issue we have come out with Medical College in every district. Thus the number of MBBS seats has gone up from 2800 to 8500, he said.
Speaking about missing middle he said the government is setting 8 super speciality hospitals, 4 in Hyderabad, and one in Warangal, upgrading NIMS and speaking about Telangana Diagnostics Program he said now 134 medical tests that range from anywhere Rs 500 to 10,000/- are done free of cost. Attendants in 18 hospitals are provided food along with the patients.
Dr Rao said universal health care is a dream of every country in the world. But very few achieved anywhere closest to that. We are now living in a fragile world due to climate change, energy crisis, and human stupidity and many are adding up to our woes. He emphasised the stress on primary health care. He also urged to create a good and quality healthcare workforce.
Dr Kandamuthan who is the knowledge partner to the vision 2030 document said that they made 15 recommendations. Hyderabad is the most preferred destination for health care, but we can make it even better. To make this document hundreds of professionals were interviewed, 15 panel discussions were held and 17 departments of allopathy and 3 of Ayush were consulted
The vision 2030 document is brought out by FTCCI’s health committee under the leadership of Shekhar Agarwal, Chairman, of the Health Committee and the past president of FTCCI. The Document is a product of six months of full-time effort of the health committee. Hundreds of manhours have gone into making it. Hundreds of professionals contributed their valuable inputs through several meetings and round table conferences said Anil Agarwal while welcoming the gathering.
Telangana is already at the forefront of healthcare in the country and has made rapid strides over the years. The purpose of this healthcare vision 2030 document is an attempt to suggest solutions for patient-centric, easy, accessible, affordable, and quality health care for all Citizens in Telangana, with like-minded partners & associates like the administrative staff college of India as the knowledge partner, LV Prasad Eye Institute & AIG Hospitals as Associate Partners informed Agarwal.
The report addresses equity, disparity and pains of the patients. The focus is on Prevention, Promotion, Better Health & Well-being and helping in creating a patient-friendly environment. It focuses on improving awareness and trust in public health care system for Telangana to become the best health destination & medical hub, said Agarwal
Based on stakeholder consultations, the following are the major suggestions and way forward for improving health care in Telangana. Various key stakeholder meetings were done with experts from domains like Allopathy, AYUSH, Technology and Health Insurance and lessons from Models of Excellence Institutions (Large, Small and Trust Hospitals) that can be useful for Telangana.This will form a strong foundation in delivering quality and affordable healthcare to all citizens of Telangana, Agarwal added,
The 11 recommendations suggested in the vision 2030 document are as follows. 1. Awareness Through School and College Education Curriculum; 2.Focusing on disease Prevention, Nutrition & Immunity; 3. Re-Building Community Trust in Healthcare Systems and Health Force; 4. Promoting and Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Public (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary), Private and Public -Private-Partnerships; 5. Providing Health Care for the financially low-income, middle income & high-income groups; 6. Improving the existing healthcare education; 7. To make healthcare more patient-centric through Innovation and Technology; 8. Suggesting Government policies that are more patient-centric; 9. Along with Allopathy other systems or forms of medicine also must be leveraged; 10. Best Value Based practices from various institutes in healthcare should be learnt and implemented and 11. Teaching and Training must be taken up on a massive scale for which Sarkar, Sanstha and Samaj come together.
The few other highlights of the document are:
- Similar to Arogyasri and Ayushman Bharat, the government must provide health insurance to all citizens. Citizens above Poverty Line can pay affordable premiums for insurance.
- Patients must have the choice to use government or private healthcare facilities. Directly or indirectly, it should not be thrust on them.
- Health must be considered a fundamental right of every citizen. There must be dignity of life and dignity of death.
- One-third of the healthcare system should be encouraged to be in Public Private Partnership (PPP).
- Trained medical assistants can be stationed in Tirbal and remote areas where the government doctors have got challenges to visit and stay.
- The cost of medical education must be affordable, in order to help the patients to get affordable healthcare with a basic learning of alternate health system (AYUSH) during their 1st and 2nd year of MBBS
- Investment in Trust Hospitals like Tata Memorial must be encouraged. Private equity from other countries must be stopped.
- There is a huge potential for human service, employment, investment and economic growth. As China has become a leader in manufacturing, Telangana and India can become the world leader in health care.
This document covers in detail the suggestions and solutions proposed by the eminent experts and stakeholders in this field and throws light on the areas where the healthcare sector in Telangana can be improved. This will enable further health system strengthening in order to provide Quality and Affordable Healthcare delivery to all citizens of Telangana. This document is the culmination of the vision for Telangana Healthcare 2030, for a population of 4 crores, which can be replicated for the benefit of the 140crore population of India and further extended to the 800-crore population of the world. Telangana can certainly become the front runner in healthcare not only for India but for the world and become a world leader in healthcare, Agarwal added.