Posted on 04/25/2007 8:13:17 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer
Even as the Indian pharma majors are going global, British healthcare companies and medical personnel are keen to increase their presence in the country through tie-ups and public-private-partnership ventures, and West Bengal is likely to gain most from this boom.
The National Health Service (NHS) of Britain, with US $100 billion annual budget, is eager to invest in PPP ventures with India's healthcare system and discussions were underway with the government and Planning Commission in this regard, sources said.
While British firms are showing interest in making investment here, Indian medical technology firms are also looking up to export equipment to the UK. As part of the Indo-UK partnership programme, a delegation from England toured India sometime back and talks are on between companies from both sides for tie-ups, especially in the fields of nanotechnology and genetics.
Besides, in a reversal of migration for jobs, a number of British doctors are also planning to seek jobs in India, against the backdrop rising potential of India as medical tourism destination, sources said. A number of companies have held talks with healthcare major in West Bengal, which attracts large number of patients from Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.
"Britain, interested in the low salary structures and IT firms for medical software, can contribute in advanced research in medicine and cutting edge technologies like telemedicine and surgical expertise,'' said a Health Ministry official who interacted with the British delegation.
The delegates explored partnership opportunities and investment prospects in the healthcare services like medical equipment, in knowledge sharing of the recent development in the medical sector, genetic disorder services in Kolkata, medical software, training and overall into the public-private partnership venture.
Meanwhile, it is also understood that some hospitals, especially loss-making ones, in Britain were also planning to outsource its doctors' digital dictations to India in a bid to cut on their losses. Southport and Ormskirk Hospital, which is battling to reduce 15 million pounds deficit, are in talks with some agencies, it is learnt.
In another related development, reports said, hundreds of British junior doctors have applied for jobs in countries like Australia, India, Canada, US and New Zealand. With medical tourism emerging hot, Indian hospitals are looking to rope in English doctors to treat patients from Britain here. The NHS, the largest medical employer in UK, had advertised for 22,000 junior doctors recently and got more than 30,000 applications in response. So even if the vacancies are filled, there will still be around 8,000 unemployed medicos.
See article.
Why is the British government paying to educate 50% more doctors than it has positions for, while its overall health system is in serious financial trouble that’s resulting in horrific standards of care?
What part of this article do you think is not in the best interest of either UK or India?
The fact that Britain will create public/private partnerships with Indian firms is a bad thing for the citizens of both countries.
How so?
I don’t agree with most arguments in the article u posted on PPP. Few of them have a sound logical basis. It justs seems like the author is blind-biased.
PPP in India has been a good thing where social entrepreneurs have taken up the work that governments have been too distracted to or have had not enough funds to execute. In a country where, unlike China, the private sector is richer and better managed than the government and PSU’s, PPP is the most efficient way to deliver such things as infrastructure and civic services.
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