“The healthcare sector, which should serve the needs of patients, has often left them without a voice in healthcare discussions. While doctors and the industry are organised, patients have remained unorganised. IPU was formed to level the playing field and ensure a shift from provider-centric, procedure-driven healthcare to user-centric, outcome-driven care,” said Rajendra Pratap Gupta, the founder of the International Patients’ Union in a statement.
The IPU was officially launched at Patient’s Conference on April 6, 2023, where prominent speakers, including Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Pem Namgyal, Mamta Bhushan Singh, RK Srivastava, Neeraj A Sharma, Devi Shetty, Sanjiv Chopra, Viveka Roychowdhury; and many others, engaged with patients from across the country to address their views, suggestions, and concerns.
“The biggest problem faced by India and other developing countries today is the approach of offering healthcare to citizens for free through taxpayers’ money since independence. This approach has limited the availability and quality of healthcare, making it difficult to provide universal healthcare for all citizens. However, India’s strength lies in its people, and any strategy to improve healthcare delivery should prioritise the needs of the working and middle-class people. India has the potential to dissociate healthcare from affluence and become the first country in the world to provide high-quality healthcare to all citizens, irrespective of their wealth,” said Devi Shetty, Chairman and Executive, Narayana Health.
Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Government of India said, direct reporting by patients can remove the filter and provide real information on adverse events, leading to improved vigilance in healthcare. “This true data gives a clear understanding of what is really happening and helps in taking appropriate actions. Therefore, it is important for everyone to promote this initiative, not just those directly involved in healthcare but also from individual capacities too,” he added.
The event aimed to facilitate activities that make the healthcare system patient-centric and outcome-driven.
“In today’s digitally-driven world, having a wide range of tools at our disposal is essential. The Patients’ Union App, which has been launched, is a crucial step towards achieving the objectives of meeting the patient’s needs. To stay afloat, it is important to constantly adapt to new demands and incorporate new aspects into the efforts in today’s world of the internet and related electronic work,” said Prem Namgyal, Director, Programme Management, World Health Organisation, South – East Asia Regional Office in a statement.
