Manipal Health ChairmanSudarshan Ballal succeeds Fortis Healthcare's Daljit Singh as the president, the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) said in a statement.

New Delhi: The healthcare industry body NATHEALTH Friday announced that Manipal Health Enterprises Chairman Sudarshan Ballal has been elected as its president for the year 2019-20.

He succeeds Fortis Healthcare's Daljit Singh as the president, the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) said in a statement.

While Rajit Mehta has been elected as senior vice-president, Preetha Reddy has been elected as the vice president for the duration, it added.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Healthcare Federation of India NATHEALTH had appointed Fortis Healthcare president Daljit Singh as its president for the year 2018-19, who succeeded Dr Lal PathLabs chairman and MD Dr Arvind Lal.

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Badhri Iyengar has been elected as the secretary of the NATHEALTH and Harsh Mahajan has been elected as treasurer for the period, NATHEALTH said.

On the priorities of the federation, Ballal said, "Stringent governmental regulations, increased public and media attention on the cost of healthcare will substantially affect the delivery of healthcare in our country."

The effect of demonetisation, GST and capping of prices would further impact healthcare in a big way, he added.

"The greatest challenge for the healthcare sector is to deliver first world healthcare at third-world costs," Ballal said.

Dr Sudarshan Ballal is the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Rajyotsava Award by the Government of Karnataka 2005, the Namma Bengaluru Awards 2009, Dr B. C. Roy award by the Government of Karnataka in 2010, the Trinity Vaidya Rathna Award Aryabhata International and the Teacher of Excellence Award by the National Board of Examination, New Delhi conferred for his distinguished contributions.

Recently he was honoured with The Life-time Achievement Award 2018, Presented by Bangalore Health Festival and was recognised as A legend In Nephrology by the Times Group for his continuous service and contribution in the field of Nephrology.

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