India's medical professionals, paramedics and scientists have played a pivotal role in containing COVID-19 and they are helping in drug discovery and in repurposing of existing drugs, the Health Minister said.
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They have also isolated the virus in the early onset of diseases and are engaged in studying the virus using genome sequencing, he told his Australian counterpart, during a discussion on bilateral health cooperation on July 14. "From just one lab to test the virus in January, India now has more than 1,200 labs all across the country facilitating the people in widespread testing," he said.
India's drug manufacturers have also enabled India to supply hydroxychloroquine to 140 countries, He was quoted as saying in the Health Ministry statement. He had a digital interaction with the Australian counterpart over an MoU India and Australia had signed on cooperation in the field of health and medicine on April 10, 2017, the ministry said. The MoU covers areas of mutual interest like the management of communicable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis, mental health, and non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, regulation of pharmaceuticals, vaccines and medical devices and digitisation of health infrastructure.
The MoU also covers response to public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. At the outset, he expressed deep admiration for the Australian counterpart for his organisation of charity events like a 5-km run for children suffering for autism and raising awareness on juvenile diabetes, according to the statement. While Australia has one of the best healthcare systems of the developed world, healthcare in India is one of the fastest growing sectors, which is expected to hit USD 275 billion mark in the next 10 years, he said. "India's domestic demand is expected to engine the growth regardless of any turbulence in the global economy," he health minister said.
India also offers vast opportunities in research and development and medical tourism, he said. "India's traditional holistic medical systems like ayurveda and yoga can help Australia curb obesity and related diseases." He elaborated on "health as a social movement" approach of the Prime Minister. "India's universal healthcare coverage under Ayushman Bharat covers a massive 100 million families and 10 million individuals have benefitted in the last year alone," he said.
He added that the country was committed to eliminating TB by 2025 and it had also undertaken efforts for mass screening of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, cancer of breast, lung, throat and mouth. He added that "whole of government" perspective enabled financial inclusion of 40 crore people and transformed their access to healthcare. The Australian counterpart spoke of the trust the Prime Minister espouses in the international community, the statement said.
Australia's universal telemedicine has helped tackle 19 million cases, so far, he stated. "Its focus on health infrastructure through public and private hospitals and approach on mental health issues are models worth emulating," he said. Acknowledging India's huge role in supplying inexpensive generic drugs, he explained how India could help Australia in researching new medicines for rare diseases using genomics and stem cell technology. The health ministers agreed to continue to jointly work in the area of health and other common interests, the statement said.
