Let's make healthcare service, not commerce: Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday called for building an equitable and sustainable global healthcare system and said India has taken upon itself to create a future where healthcare is service and not commerce.

Addressing the 'Advantage Healthcare-India 2023' here, inaugurated virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister also urged all stakeholders to work towards making India the 'destination of choice' for medical value travel.

The two-day international summit on medical travel is being organised to promote the export of healthcare services and reduce disparities in their availability.

Health ministers and other officials from 10 countries and around 500 business delegates from more than 70 countries are expected to participate in the event.

It showcases India's strength in the field of medical value travel and as an exporter of healthcare workforce providing value-based healthcare services and its emergence as a major hub for world-class healthcare and wellness services.

"With great power comes great responsibility. As the voice of the global south, we have the responsibility of creating a better future, a future where healthcare is service and not commerce," Mandaviya said.

He said that India has invested its "heart and mind" in healthcare with a renewed sense of purpose over the last nine years.

"To create a Resilient healthcare ecosystem, India has taken a holistic approach to building a robust health infrastructure based on the four main pillars of Ayushman Bharat," he added.

The minister also referred to India providing support to several developing countries lacking secondary and tertiary care facilities to facilitate capacity building of hospitals so that they can treat patients in their own country and send referrals of special care cases to India.

"There have been several success stories of patients all over the globe who have benefited from India's modern treatments and traditional medicine.

"Today, India is being recognised as one of the fastest-growing medical value travel destinations not only in Asia but also in the world," he said.

On the establishment of the WHO's Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in India, Mandaviya said it will help discuss and collaborate on achieving holistic well-being through integrated healthcare.

"This year, as India holds the Presidency of G-20 with its theme – ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, we are blessed with the opportunity to shift our attention from the micro to the macro level," he said.

"The fate of medical value travel rests on the globe's collective ability to synergize their energies towards the common goal- achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring Good Health and Well-being for all," he said.

The minister said India was slowly but steadily edging towards creating a healthcare ecosystem that embraces the voice of every nation, every citizen and, every being.

"I urge global and Indian leaders gracing this event to use this opportunity for building a global healthcare infrastructure that is equitable, sustainable and resilient to the caprice of nature," he added.

"It is collective efforts of industry, civil society and associations which will help give a further boost to the Indian Medical Value Travel sector and realize the vision of PM Narendra Modi to make India the 'Destination of Choice' for Medical Value Travel," he said.

The minister also recalled several measures taken by the Modi government for controlling the spread of Covid and for addressing major gaps in the availability of life-saving healthcare facilities while restoring normalcy in access to livelihoods.

"Building on the capacities that have been gained during the implementation of the universal immunisation programme and Mission Indradhanush, India achieved an Unimaginable pace of COVID vaccination," he said.

"Given the acute shortage of the healthcare workforce following COVID-19, Indian healthcare professionals hold great potential to help save lives across borders," he added.