‘Tech assessment is the way forward to deliver efficient health for all’ – ET HealthWorld

Bhopal: Health technology assessment is the way forward to deliver equitable, efficient health for all, said Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, professor, Dr Ritu Priya here on Sunday. She was the keynote speaker at the Dr Ajay Khare Memorial Lecture at Gandhi Bhawan. Dr BK Iqbal was honoured with Jan Swasthya Samman during the programme.

ORS, a simple make-up of sugars, salts and clean water which saved millions of lives, was the most important medical technological discovery of the 20th century,” said Dr Priya. She spoke on ‘Universal Health: Crises and Challenges of Current Health Care’.

“Going back and realising the value of primary health care centres and equipping them to provide better and affordable care has to be understood. For every need, there is no need to go to tertiary care units. Brick-and-mortar primary health care needs to be rethought,” she added.

“Medical knowledge in its current form is based on peer reviews and validated journals. During the pandemic, a 10-city Indian survey has shown that in most household’s home remedies were used and other input came from tele consultation and knowledge sharing. Moving forward, critical thinking in doctors and health technology assessment is the issue,” said Dr Priya. “True test of civilisation is the absence of anxiety about health,” she said quoting Indian historian, author Vijay Prashad.

Value and impact of health technologies is a new area of research in the West. Their health systems have come under extraordinary stress, she said. Similar review has been started by ICMR’s Department of Health Research (DHR) dubbed Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn). As of Sunday, the ‘Policy briefs generated from HTA study outcomes’ drew of blank on its web portal.

People’s views on their understanding of their health, access to healthcare and home based remedies matter, she added.

Former IAS officer, Dr Manohar Agnani, who presided over the programme, said medical needs of our country is different, so we need our own model for delivering healthcare. He emphasised that investment in the primary health sector has to be increased. SR Azad, Dr Madhav Hasani of Medical Association were also present.

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