Need for stronger private collaborations, community engagement to extend healthcare access to every women: Additional Secretary & DG (CGHS), MoHFW

 Ms Roli Singh, Additional Secretary & DG (CGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India while applauding the progress made so far in terms of women’s health, today asserted that the success of the government schemes are determined by how well they are implemented on the ground. “It is not only the schemes we design, but how they are implemented that makes the difference,” she added.

Addressing the session ‘Empowering Her Health’ during the ‘FICCI HEAL 2023’, Ms Singh stated that India has made great strides in providing quality healthcare access to women, with a lot of innovation happening, and the results are visible to all.

“Things are changing very fast. The look and feel of the sub-centres have changed. How you brand and position your health centre is also making a significant difference. It’s not only about schemes but also about the continuous provision of primary healthcare that will change the way we perceive health,” she said.

Ms Singh emphasised the importance of increased community engagement and private collaborations to expand the reach of healthcare schemes for women to the last mile.

FICCI in collaboration with UN Women, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Apollo Hospitals Group has taken the initiative to bring together stakeholders from various sectors, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, KOLs, MedTech and pharma representatives, NGOs, and women’s rights advocates, to facilitate comprehensive discussions on the same.

The Stakeholders’ Consultation will be followed by the Regional Discussion Forums in identified States. These forums shall help shape policies that prioritize women’s healthcare, secure adequate resources, and promote innovative approaches to improve the overall health and well-being of women in India.

Ms Vinita Sethi, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “We must do something more towards pro-health, towards building an attitude among women to go for preventive healthcare.”

Ms Ritu Mahajan, Co-founder & Executive Director, Mahajan Imaging & Labs added, “Women’s health is the heartbeat of a nation’s vitality. In India, where 36 per cent of TB cases affect women, it’s imperative that we break the silence and stigma surrounding health.”

Ms Susan Ferguson, Country Representative- India, UN Women said that it is high time to look beyond maternal health and into other health issues that women face.

Echoing similar sentiments, Ms Upasana Arora, Co-Chair, FICCI MVT Committee and Managing Director, Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals said, “About 24 per cent of women suffer from malnutrition; they have anaemia, and they are not even aware that they have this problem. The reason for this is that we are always our family’s second priority.”

Ms Amrita Sekhar, Senior Program Officer, Innovative Health Tools, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation emphasized on the need to invest more in women’s health for overall economic growth. “Data shows that 300 million dollars of investment today generate about close to 13 billion dollars in economic return for society by focusing on women’s health,” she added.

Ms Roli Singh also released a paper on ‘Empowering Her Health’ prepared by UN Women in partnership with FICCI and Apollo Hospitals.