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The health ministry is working towards bringing all the healthcare related depar

tments under one fold over the next five year period and put in place a health p
olicy in the near term to increase healthcare access for the people, a senior go
vernment official said on Friday.
Rajendra Pratap Gupta, advisor in public policy, economy, rural development, hea
lthcare, retail, innovation, on the sidelines of healthcare access summit organi
sed by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India in Mumbai, said, "O
ne of the biggest lacuna is that the health industry is spread across different
departments and the best way to bring synergy is to conversion of related depart
ments under one. I think the health ministry is also thinking the same."
However, Gupta said that bringing all departments will not be done immediately,
but it will happen over a five years term. He also said that a health policy is
also underway.
Gupta, who has authored the manifesto of the new government, said the first step
is to have a health policy in place. The other requirement is to bring down the
out-of-pocket spending, increase in the healthcare access, increase in the qual
ity of care and the use of new technology. The other major thrust would be on up
grading the government hospitals and provision of latest technology and diagnost
ics. He also said that the government would set up the National e-Health Authori
ty but that depends on which phase it gets rolled out.
On the recent decision of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to br
ing more drugs under price control, Gupta said, "It is very clear that the patie
nt interest will be above everyone and whatever it takes to be there will be the
re."
However, Shailesh Ayyangar, president, OPPI and managing director, India & vice
president, South Asia, Sanofi, said, "When the price regulator decided on bringi
ng a list of essential medicines under price control in 2013, it organised a dis
cussion with all the industry stakeholders. If there could be a discussion then,
why not now? The issue is it was done unilaterally, without having any discussi
on with the industry."
While the case is now subjudiced after some of the industry stakeholders includi
ng IPA, OPPI moving court against NPPA's recent decision to bring 108 more formu
lations under price control, manufacturing of these products may have to stop un
less there is the court decision.
Said Ranjit Shahani, vice chairman and managing director, Novartis, "I think com
panies will stop manufacturing, otherwise stocks would be there and you have to
re-label them. Which means there is a gap and there is uncertainty over the cour
t decision, uncertainty over what the government might do and so there's going t
o be certain disruptions some way or the other."
While Shahani said that till a court decision or a consensus is reached, the med
icines will be sold at the old price, Aijaz Tobaccowala, managing director, Pfiz
er, said, "As far as I know, till there is a change, it's on the go. I think we
don't have a choice."

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