With the aim of providing a platform for educating and enabling open discourse on the state of tomorrow's healthcare systems, leading health sector management University, IIHMR, concluded the 23rd edition of its flagship annual event, Pradanya 2018.
The theme for this year's event was "Re-imagining Healthcare: Yesterday's Dream, Tomorrow's Reality". A wide range of topics covering vital questions of inclusive health and equitable access in light of Ayushman Bharat, the country's strides in achieving SDGs in rural development, drug and vaccine discovery and its role in reducing disease burdens, trends in patient-centered care, the new wave of healthcare technologies that are predicted to change the face of medical practice and service delivery.
Dr Indu Bhushan, CEO, Ayushman Bharat, Government of India, said, "Access to healthcare in India is marred by huge costs of Out-of-pocket expenditure which pushes 7% of India's households into poverty every year. About 70% of India's population resides in rural areas but the majority of tertiary healthcare services, which are the costliest, in terms of OOP expenses, are in urban areas. Poor people need more expensive health services than the top 40% income-bracket of society. The awareness levels, willingness to submit to clinical diagnosis at the primary healthcare level and access to secondary or tertiary healthcare services is lower among the most disadvantaged. Our aim is to amalgamate all these services into one but not force this model upon anyone. That is why we have been careful in choosing healthcare service providers that fit into the model, that are willing and prepared to serve. There is no rigidity in the model and we are open to feedback."
Dr. Pankaj Gupta, President, IIHMR University, Jaipur, stated, "This conference has been a source of great inspiration for people committed to the cause of providing inclusive healthcare for all and managing change in society. I am sure that our students are better prepared to face career challenges now than before. I thank Prof. S D Gupta, Dr. InduBhushan, Shri Naveen Jain and all the illustrious luminaries who have helped enrich this debate and motivated our future leaders."
