India’s first free private rural medical college, Sri Madhusud Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR) organised a two days Global Health Conference on the theme – Augmenting Synergies for Universal Healthcare, in association with The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi.

Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Founder of SMSIMSR, Spiritual and Social Leader of the Global Mission of Nutrition, Education and Healthcare inaugurated the conference in presence of industry leaders, policy makers, and other stakeholders of the life sciences and healthcare industry at Sathya Sai Grama at Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka on December 8, 2023. 

In his message Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, said “It is great to see that the Sri Madhusudan Institute of Medical Sciences and Research is focusing on creating a holistic ecosystem for ensuring last-mile access to healthcare services. Initiatives like yours will ensure that competencies are built in our ecosystem for effective healthcare service delivery for India's citizens and will promote ‘role-based’ learning rather than ‘rule-based’ and ‘competency-based’ learning, and also enhance policy-making in the field of healthcare and pharmaceuticals. I am confident that the discussions during the conference will be of high order and will be in line with the vision of creating a developed India by 2047.”

Dr M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS New Delhi said in his opening remarks said “Sri Madhusudan Sai’s institutions are a unique example of how free treatment and free medical education are given. I am very happy that the conference is deliberating on affordable and equitable healthcare. We, the tertiary centres take care of the super specialties, while Sri Madhusudan Sai’s institutions are also focusing on primary and secondary care, which is really commendable.”

Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Founder of SMSIMSR, said, “To make healthcare accessible, available, affordable and equitable for all is the aim of this conference. Hence, it is important for all of us – pharmaceutical industry, healthcare industry and healthcare technology industry, to come together for universalisation of healthcare. This conference will lead of practical and implementable solutions in this line.”

This global healthcare conference aims to create a dynamic platform for cross-industry collaboration and foster dialogue between key contributors of the healthcare sector from pharmaceutical industry leaders, regulators and researchers, to hospital administrators and medical professionals, healthcare technology innovators, Government officials and policy makers, insurance companies, academicians, and medical students.

Over the two days, talks by prominent healthcare specialists, panel discussions on key themes by experts from different sectors of healthcare, alongside networking opportunities to foster connections and partnerships will take place.

The conference covered issues of interest to pharma and healthcare industry under the following sessions in which experts and industry leaders shared their views on topics such as Sustainable Practices and Green Chemistry Initiatives - Achieving Self-Reliance in KSMs and APIs; Value Creation through Product Innovation in Pharma; Best Practices in Storage and Distribution of Pharmaceutical Products; Last Mile Medicine Delivery through e-Pharmacies and other Tech Enabled Services; Enhanced Patient Outreach by Hospital Chains - Serving the Last and the Least; Producing Better Quality Drugs and Regulatory Landscape; Strengthening Primary Health Services for Universal Accessibility; Utilisation of Government Schemes with Support from NGOs to reach the last and the least.

Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General of Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) spoke on Pharma Industry - the Road Ahead, while Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India spoke on Pharma Regulations and Quality and Dr C Sreenivas, Chairman, Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust spoke on Strategies for Making Healthcare Accessible and Affordable.

Photo caption : From left to right - Dharma Data, Former Drug Control Director, Andhra Pradesh and Advisor, Sri Madhusudan Sai Institution of Medical Sciences and Research; Dr Minu Bajpai, Executive Director, National Board of Examinations and Former Dean of Academics,  AIIMS, New Delhi; Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Founder, Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research; B N Narasimha Murthy, Chancellor, Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence and Ramesh Babu Potluri, Chairman and Managing Director, SMS Pharmaceuticals.