The disruption caused by COVID must be seen as an opportunity to radically reform the health sector: Vice President
New Delhi:
The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic must be seen as an opportunity to radically reform the healthcare sector by effectively harnessing the power of technology and tools powered by artificial intelligence, Vice President M Venkaiah said on Saturday. Naidu.
Addressing an American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) event online, he called for the digitalization of health records and the creation of a national platform to facilitate data collection comprehensive health care across the country.
This, Mr Naidu said, will ensure that all stakeholders in the health sector are digitally connected.
He believed that the analysis of the data collected can produce valuable information that can be used to improve the efficiency of the health system.
“The disruption caused by the pandemic must be seen as an opportunity to radically reform our health sector,” said Naidu.
The Vice President said that as the second most populous country in the world with a history of rapid economic growth, India faces unique challenges and unprecedented opportunities in the field of public health.
Affirming the need to provide quality health care to all, no matter where one lives, Naidu said health care and medical facilities should be accessible and affordable for all.
He warned that these challenges are not simple enough to be tackled by government alone and called for concerted and coordinated efforts from the private and public sectors.
Mr. Naidu called on private sector actors to strengthen the hands of government in its quest to provide quality health care to the last citizen.
Observing that countries with strong primary health care systems achieve better health outcomes, the Vice President stressed the need to strengthen India’s primary health care system.
“The private sector needs to work with various state governments to build state-of-the-art primary health care facilities in every district,” he said.
