BioVoice News June 2016 Issue 2 Volume 1 | Page 19

Healthcare needs a genuine check up India’s low public spend on health and low prevalence of insurance coverage are driving a large number of Indians to poverty as they have to bear high outof-pocket expenses O BY RAHUL KOUL n healthcare, the Modi government started on a very positive note. Last year, the health ministry declared that it wants to make healthcare a fundamental right and ensure that its denial is punishable by law. It wants to make health a fundamental right just on the same pattern on which education was made a fundamental right in 2009. Among other programmes that the health ministry is giving attention to include Mission Indradhanush that aims at increasing the immunization coverage to children like the hugely successful pulse polio program. What is exciting to find that now the public private partnerships on disease research are slowly becoming a reality. Termed as India’s first PPP agreement for research and innovation in preventive health, an understanding on joint efforts has been reached recently between Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and Sun Pharma on elimination of Malaria. Joint Working Group of both the organizations will conduct scientific research for development and testing of medical products (including drugs, biosimilars and vaccines) as well as undertake disease control and elimination programs. Sun Pharma will fund and execute this malaria elimination programme over a span of 3 to 5 years covering over 200,000 households in Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh. A first of its kind Current Good Manufacturing Practices facility at Central Vaccine Institute, Kasauli has been activated recently by the health ministry. Besides that a Zonal Office of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) at Baddi has been made operational. The facility is expected to help the pharma units which face problems due to non-availability of regulatory support at times and also will help in boosting BIOVOICENEWS.COM 19