24th April 2011
HYDERABAD: In order to ensure a safer and stronger healthcare system in the country, industry leaders from the sector will join hands to create a joint action management group and propogate the need for patient safety. The team will soon make a representation to the Unique Identification (UID) project to explore how the data can be integrated to provide healthcare services.
Healthcare service providers participating at the two-day event on Transforming Healthcare with IT 2011 have decided to form a national safety forum, with Quality Control of India, WHO and FICCI as part of its executive body besides members from the industry.
“The joint action group will conduct campaigns in nursing homes and hospitals propogating the need for patient safety.
We also plan to launch a portal where resources related to patient safety can be shared,” said Sangeetha Reddy, executive director (operations), Apollo Hospitals group.
“We will make a representation to Nandan Nilekani, who’s heading the Unique Identification Number (UID) project, to try and see how the data can be integrated and thereby transform the process to offer healthcare services,” Reddy explained.
In his valedictory note, governor E S L Narasimhan said, “The critical question to be asked is whether healthcare is reaching the last mile. If not, why not?”
He asked if corporate hospitals could pool resources with a team of experts to conduct health camps in villages that would reduce travel time and cost for patients. He also underscored the need for providing medical services and medicines at affordable prices. “While there are initiatives such as Arogyasri for the poor and superspecialty hospitals for those who can afford, there needs to be something for people in between... Can we look at something like an ATM -- All Time Medical -- kiosk that can sell most-used medicines at fixed and affordable prices?” he asked.
He urged corporates to replicate Prathap Reddy’s Aragonda experiment in Chittoor district, where a hospital was set up to offer service to villagers free of cost or at a nominal charge.