NATHEALTH and AHPI sign MoU to share knowledge and resources in healthcare sector

NATHEALTH has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Association of Healthcare Providers (India) (AHPI) to boost information sharing, public-private partnership (PPP) and advocacy to collaborate and achieve quality healthcare for all citizens in India. This brings together a network of over 15,000 hospitals, labs and diagnostics chains, healthcare service providers, equipment manufacturers, investors, knowledge partners, technology providers and innovators into a unified platform.

Taking forward the spirit of cohesive collaborations and partnerships to achieve the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) with quality care, the two apex healthcare industry bodies- NATHEALTH and AHPI have recently announced to work in collaboration with each other. The partnership aims to share knowledge and resources in the healthcare sector. The healthcare industry bodies have also agreed to work together in recommending price and cost models for key components of healthcare delivery.

In 2019, NATHEALTH had announced its partnerships with National Health Authority (NHA), NASSCOM, Wellness and Roche Diagnostic. AHPI similarly has formal association with key healthcare bodies including Indian Medical Association (IMA), Association of National Board Accredited Institutions and Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations etc. The partnership between NATHEALTH and AHPI, therefore, will promote more effective use of each other’s resources, memberships and provide a wider representation of the healthcare industry to key stakeholders in areas of policymaking and creating a suitable environment to benefit all stakeholders.

This partnership will leverage the benefits of efforts on creating and implementing policies that help build trust, share knowledge and resource in the healthcare sector.

“We agreed to form a partnership with AHPI to work together in formulating a model arrangement for active participation of private hospitals in programmes launched by the government. This would include creating a reference document for the public-private partnership. Collectively, we will take up regulatory/taxation issues with authorities like state and Central Government affecting patient care to improve quality of care or healthcare expenditure of patients,” said Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, President, NATHEALTH.

Speaking on the collaboration, Dr Alex Thomas, President, AHPI, said, “This partnership would provide momentum to our ongoing efforts. With our combined resources, we hope to witness a significant contribution and development in the healthcare systems. We wish to network and share knowledge on various aspects of healthcare delivery systems and for the mutual benefits of members of two organisations to whom we are meant to serve.”

Under the agreement, NATHEALTH and AHPI have identified major areas of collaboration, which would promote information sharing, advocacy with governments, private-public partnerships, rational cost structure and pricing, and formulation of patient charter.

The joint initiative will collectively act as an interface between the industry and government on various policy and regulatory topics to improve the regulatory environment in India.