Azad urges use of PPP model to tackle epidemics

The corporate sector should collaborate with the government in reversing the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as businesses are uniquely placed to mobilise awareness on prevention and control measures, urged union minister for health and family welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad.

“They can play a key role in advocacy, capacity building and filling gaps in service provision,” he said while inaugurating the International Heart Protection Summit organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

Many industry experts say healthcare should be treated as an infrastructure industry for tax exemptions. The PPP model is ideal to bridge the demand-supply gap. Private sector expertise coupled with efficiencies in operation and maintenance will lead to improved healthcare services delivery to the masses.

India invests only one per cent of GDP in primary healthcare centres. The country has an average of 0.6 doctors per 1,000 people against the global average of 1.23. The sector is likely to see an increase in investments from 34.2 billion dollars in 2006 to 78 billion dollars in 2012. This is expected to increase the bed ratio from 0.9 beds per 1,000 persons to 1.85 beds per 1,000 persons.

Azad quoted the World Health Organisation report estimating annual income loss due to diabetes, stroke and heart diseases at 54 billion dollars by 2015. In India, total economic cost of three tobacco related diseases – cardio vascular, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary – is 6.03 billion dollars (about Rs 27,760 crore).

The government has launched a national programme to screen about 200 million people by March next year under a pilot project covering 20,000 rural sub-centres and urban slums. It is the largest such exercise attempted anywhere in the world, said the minister adding hypertension is present among 25 per cent urban population and 10 per cent rural population.

Dr H.K. Chopra, president of the International Heart Protection Summit, said rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, consumption of tobacco products besides increased levels of mental and physical stress are key reasons for steep rise in the number of patients suffering from heart related diseases.

It is estimated that about 55 million people in the country suffer from coronary artery diseases, he said urging the government to form a national task force which could evolve a global alliance to conduct tobacco control programmes and prevent pre-mature CVDs.