India would immediately need investments in healthcare worth $80 billion in order to add at least one bed per 1,000 population.
This was disclosed by Ajay Shanker, secretary of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotions, here at the 5th India Health Summit, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Indian Healthcare Federation.
However, painting a rosy picture of the future for investments in the health-care sector, Shankar said, "By 2020-25, Medical Value Travel in India will stand where India's IT sector is positioned today."
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Pervez Ahmed, executive medical director, Max Hospitals, said: "Streamlining the rural medical practitioner's arrangements in Private public partnership (PPP) and programs aimed at curbing lifestyle diseases in the urban areas has to be top priority."
Suneeta Reddy, executive director (finance), Apollo Hospitals Group, asked the government to allow access to foreign capital. "As on date foreign capital only focuses on procurement of medical goods. With proactive policy measures, India can capture medical value tourists, which has recently recorded significant upside."
McKinsey has projected that opportunities in Medical Value travel in India, which at present stand at $4 billion, has the potential of reaching up to $57 billion.
Prof David Dror, chairman, Micro Insurance Academy, said the scope of healthcare in rural arena lie in cheap retail at the door step of the customer.
