India can be global healthcare destination: Apollo Chairman

Leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and telemedicine, best healthcare for people can be delivered even in remote areas of the country and make India the global healthcare destination, said Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Hospitals on Monday.

"The way IT sector is moving in India, it will make greater impact. Using technolgies like AI and telemedicine we can empower many people as well as provide the best healthcare. I am happy that we are not behind but are at par with the rest of the world in healthcare," Reddy told reporters here.

"While we have done so much, we still need to have 100,000 beds per year for next 7-8 years, double the number of doctors, triple the number of nurses, quadraple number of paramedics, increase seats in medical colleges, have more technologies and work systematically to make India the healthcare capital of the world, he said. 

Apollo will participate in many ways in the government`s healthcare programmes and make signifcant contributions to make the 500 billion people in India healthy and happy.

"It is my vision that India should become the global healthcare destination, recognised for its contribution to heal the world. While new challenges like those from Non-Communicable Diseases continue to present risks, we must all unite to create a health system that stands as a beacon of excellence for the world," Reddy said.

The Apollo Hospitals has harnessed technology and insurance to take healthcare to the masses. The pioneering success of telemedicine and innovative insurance in Aragonda, the world`s first VSAT-enabled remote village in Andhra Pradesh, validated the concept of "Healthcare for All", the statement said.

Reddy`s innovative insurance project of Re.1 a day that he introduced decades ago in his native village has been adopted in multiple ways across the country and its core idea is reflected in the government`s flagship Ayushman Bharat health insurance programme, it added.