The government is looking to bring in a new pharma policy for implementing the proposed healthcare plan across the country in the next couple of months, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar said. The big healthcare initiative announced in the budget for 2018-19 seeks to cover 10 crore households requires many verticals -- infrastructure, human resources and pharma and medical device products, Kumar told.
"We solicit opinions, we have discussions and a new dimension has been added in this universal health care budget which also needs to be integrated into this pharmaceutical policy. In couple of months we will finalise it," Kumar said.
"We are present worldwide and supply more than 215 countries with pharmaceuticals and we are the third largest manufacturer, while the global growth rate is 5%," said Kumar.
We are growing at the rate of 15 per cent," Kumar said. In doing so, we will opt for comprehensive reforms so that the ease of doing business and the ease of living can go hand in hand, he added. In response to this overwhelming demand, we urged the conclave participants to ensure the implementation of the health care initiative through Make in India efforts. The Prime Minister's motto is to provide quality and affordable health care, he added.
"My estimation is that this decision of the Prime Minister will lead to India becoming number one pharmacy in the world in five years," Kumar said.
"We are in favor of regulatory and regulatory reforms governing pharmaceutical and medical products, without compromising quality and accessibility, because they are the cornerstones of the Indian government's pharmaceutical and medical sector," he said. Pharma and Medical Devices sector will be a major employment provider going forward, he added.
When asked if the government was also considering pricing other medical devices, he said, "People are asking for other implants and devices to be price controlled and the government is serious about it.
The minister also said the country needs a separate ministry of pharma and medical devices. "I have been pursuing this. My ministry is pursuing this with the Prime Minister," Kumar said.
