With the world having faced the Covid-19 pandemic in the past two years and concerns of another major wave with resurgent cases in China, healthcare is going to be the key policy focus for governments and would also be a cornerstone of bilateral ties between India and the US, according to industry participants.

Speaking at the 19th Indo-US Economic Summit, themed “75 Years of US India Relations: The New Agenda for next 25 years”, industry players suggested that the pandemic has brought healthcare to the centrestage of policies.

Speaking at the panel discussion on healthcare, Ms. Upasana Arora, Chairperson for Indo-American Chamber of Commerce said that India and the US can work together to create better healthcare solutions and infrastructure with technology, modern science along with India’s ancient health practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and Unani.

“Both countries can work together for the best healthcare for all. America is doing a great job in terms of technology and equipment, software development and we have skilled and young manpower. So we can work together and create a lot of good things,” she said. She also said that India and the US can work together for eradication of tuberculosis and other diseases.

Mr. Dheeraj Jain, founder, Redcliffe Labs stressed on the need for doing diagnostic tests in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle and said that efforts should be made to encourage people to get more and more tests done.

“Govt and private companies should take an opportunity to go and make these people aware. Four out of five families have never tested or gone for a diagnostic test. For a penetration of this kind the opportunity is amazing. This is the time to go and make families aware,” he said.

Talking of the focus on healthcare, Gaurav Pandey, CEO, Care Connect Healthcare Services said that Covid has brought back the focus on healthcare among the priority sectors. He said that as India has completed 75 years of independence this year, and aims to become a developed country by 2047, healthcare is going to be the driver for the growth going ahead.

He also emphasized on the need to share and transfer knowledge bilaterally between India and the US.

“Health is going to become the engine for the entire growth journey. Collaboration with developed countries like us, knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing will indeed be playing a vital role in the entire journey of Amrit Kaal,” Pandey said.

The other eminent speakers who discussed on healthcare included Ms. Preetha Rajaraman PhD Health Attache and Regional Representative U.S. Embassy New Delhi, Mr. Bhanu Prakash Kalmath S J, Partner and Sector Leader, Healthcare and Life sciences, Grant Thornton Bharat, Dr. Shubrojyoti Bhowmick, MD, Clinical Director, Peerless Hospital & B K Roy Research Center.

The two day annual flagship event is being held on 12-13 September 2022 virtually and the key areas of discussion include defence and aviation, banking and insurance, food & agri business, healthcare, infrastructure, climate change and information technology. The summit will have leading speakers and panelists from the Indian and US governments, US Embassy, corporate sectors and think tanks.