Initiate Public-Private partnership in healthcare: Shahani

Hyderabad, Nov 4 (UNI) Novartis India Ltd Vice-Chairman Ranjit Shahani today said a public-private partnership was essential to provide healthcare to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in India.

He was addressing the gathering at 'Second Healthcare and Pharma Summit' organised on the theme 'Indian Healthcare Industry-Evolving Paradigms' by the students of the Indian School of Business (ISB) in association with the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) here.

Mr Shahani, who is also the President of the OPPI, said while India was poised to be one of the top ten pharma players in the world, it was ironical that there was high mortality rate and high incidence of night blindness in rural India.

While India boast of having the lowest priced medicine, much of the benefits were still inaccessible to the poor, he said.

Mr Shahani said the healthcare infrastructure scenario in the country was insufficient and availability of drugs was alarmingly low, specially in the rural areas.

''The pharma corporates' challenge was to build a reputation and to foster social responsibility and reliability to win public confidence''.

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