India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries are looking at increased collaboration in the field of healthcare.
To exploit the opportunities emerging from this field, the healthcare industry has called for the setting up an inter-ministerial group, comprising health ministers from India and the Asean countries.
Industry experts, attending a session on healthcare at the second India-Asean Business Summit, also suggested that a parallel forum should be set up that would have representatives from the private sector in India and the Asean countries.
This forum could identify success stories, press for mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and share best practices, said Analjit Singh, chief executive officer of Max India.
Earlier, Meenakshi Datta Ghosh, additional secretary in the health ministry, said the government was committed to public-private partnership in implementing its programmes.
Ghosh added that the government was formulating a policy on social marketing that would target specific diseases.
She also shared details of the newly-announced Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana. Under the project, the government would invest Rs 2,500 crore (Rs 25 billion) in building six new hospitals and medical colleges.
Another Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion) would be spent in upgrading existing medical colleges and hospitals.
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