NATHEALTH annual event NATEv2018 to be held on Mar 16

New Delhi: Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) is all set to brainstorm on several critical issues concerning the Indian healthcare sector during its fifth annual event 'NATEv2018' in Delhi on March 16.

Union Health Minister, JP Nadda and Union Health Secretary, Preeti Sudan have been invited to inaugurate the event.

Leaders and stakeholders representing various segments of healthcare would discuss and deliberate on the theme - 'Reinvent-->Empower-->Heal'.

The inaugural session would be followed by a session on "Top Clinicians: Concerns and Challenges in today's Healthcare" where panelists from leading healthcare institutions would discuss on rising trust deficit between patients/families and healthcare professionals.

The experts would discuss a number of critical aspects around informed consent, the cost and efficacy of different treatment paths/choices, time-starved professionals, information-starved patients, medical liability and how these need to come together for productive and harmonious relationship between the healthcare professionals and the patients/family.

"This session with 'Top Clinicians' is aligned with our theme 'Heal' as it focuses on enhancing quality, access and affordability of healthcare services in India. 'Heal' is the primary concern for all stakeholders of the sector including government," said secretary general, NATHEALTH, Anjan Bose.

NATEv2018 would also witness the release of knowledge papers on "Operational Excellence" and "Financing Indian Healthcare".

A session on "Healthcare Financing and Funding" would explore opportunities for investors and analyse the emerging trends of financing in healthcare sector.

"This session on 'Financing and Funding' would contribute towards the goal of 'Empower' as the sector faces acute financial crunch to meet the growing needs of healthcare infrastructure," Bose added.

The third session on "Medical Tourism" would explore opportunities for reinventing various elements of Indian healthcare and make it a high-quality destination for medical and wellness travel.

Panelists will deliberate on the enabling factors needed to achieve this.

The session would also focus on shifting India's positioning to "value-based destination" instead of "low cost destination" with emphasis on high quality and good clinical outcomes?.

The fourth session on "Primary care: Health and Beyond...Strategies for a better India" will have in-depth on transforming India's primary healthcare system and make it better.

This session is aligned with the theme 'Heal' and 'Empower' because primary health care is the backbone of healthy India and National Health Policy 2017 also emphasises on the same.

The fifth session on "Global perspective on Indian Healthcare and its evolution" will take up several issues like sustainable health insurance, enabling regulations, collaborative private-public sector engagement, managing the dual burden of CDs and NCDs among others which are the key imperatives and the need of the hour.

This session would help in reinventing India's healthcare sector from global perspective.

The valedictory session of NATEv2018 focuses on National Health Protection Scheme - "Ayushman Bharat".

The recently announced scheme should go a long way to achieve the goal of Universal Health Coverage.

NATHEALTH had recommended making health insurance mandatory and National Health Protection Scheme would significantly cover the insurance needs of the country.

Dr. Deepak Sawant, Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare, government of Maharashtra has been invited to set the stage for big debate during the valedictory session.

Other key panelists include senior officials from Union Health Ministry and NITI Aayog, among others.