'India in final stages of introducing nat'l policy to promote R&D in pharma-medical devices sectors'

GANDHINAGAR: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday said India is in the final stages of introducing a national policy to promote research and development and innovation in the pharma-medical devices sectors.

India's commitment to quality, accessibility and affordability in healthcare is unwavering, particularly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandaviya said in his keynote address on Sunday to the Indian industry leaders in pharmaceuticals, G20 ministers and delegates, on sidelines of the G20 health ministers meeting organised here between August 17-19.

He also spoke about India's vision for the future of healthcare, centered around a transition from volume-based approaches to a value-based leadership model.

"Acknowledging the paramount importance of research and development in healthcare advancement, Dr Mandaviya announced India's strides in fostering an innovative environment," a government release said.

"India is in the final stages of introducing a national policy to promote research and development and innovation in the pharma-medical devices sectors," the release said quoting Mandaviya.

The Union minister invited countries, government bodies, industry leaders, healthcare professionals and researchers to join forces in a united effort "to elevate the pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors to unprecedented heights.".

He also acknowledged India's prowess in the pharmaceuticals and medical devices field, emphasising its role as a global hub for pharmaceutical excellence.

In their opening remarks, Minister of Health for the Republic of Indonesia Budi G Sadikin, and Health Minister of the Netherlands Dr Ernst Kuipers highlighted India's success in health and pharmacology and stressed the need for collaboration between nations.

“The medicines manufactured in India save lives- in the Netherlands, in Europe and across the world. I look forward to intensified collaboration with India. There are tremendous opportunities for partnership in innovative medicines," Dr Kuipers said.

"With the capacity and knowledge that India has in generic and specific drugs, we look forward to a more integrated collaboration with India,” he added.

Mandaviya also held a bilateral meeting with Indonesia's Health Minister Sadikin and discussed several issues of cooperation and collaboration in the health sector.

He also led a delegation of G20 delegates and ministers, including the Indonesian health minister, to a Jan Aushadhi Kendra to share with them India's success in providing accessible, affordable and quality medicines to its citizens.

After visiting the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, Sadikin said his country wants to replicate the Indian model to provide easy access to the best quality medicine to his people at the best price.

India provides a large number of quality generic medicines and surgical equipment at affordable prices for all through its network of 9,600 Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

After the visit, Sadikin told mediapersons, "I want to give the best medicines to my people in Indonesia. I have seen many models of different countries, and India's Jan Aushadhi Kendra model is the best in the world in terms of providing quality, accessibility and affordability of medicines to the people.".

"I look around many countries and I confess that India has the best," he said.

Sadikin said he asked Mandaviya to visit Indonesia and bring his government officials and businessmen to talk, "public to public, private to private," and then replicate, with his permission, the model that has been done marvelously in India.

"In the summit, discussions were held on the Jan Aushadhi Kendra. In a scenario where the cost of healthcare and medicine is on the rise, the Indian model has been lauded by health ministers across the world for its low cost and quality medicines," Mandaviya said.