India’s healthcare expertise is making a positive difference in Africa. Many countries from the vast continent sought enhanced healthcare cooperation with India at the just-concluded Third India-Africa Forum Summit.
With Africa’s Agenda 2063 envisioning a healthy and well nourished population with a life expectancy of above 75 years, India can look to play a larger role in this sphere with its high quality low-cost care.
Africa, home to 15 per cent of the world’s population, also has 24 per cent of the global disease burden. And in contrast, it has only three per cent of the world’s healthcare workforce at its disposal.
At the October 26-29 Third IAFS, many African countries sought closer cooperation with India in setting up primary healthcare centres in their countries, training for paramedics and healthcare technicians and in setting up infrastructure to train more super specialists.
India’s healthcare outreach to Africa, including the smaller ones, is through the Pan African e-Network Project, which links 48 African countries. Twelve super specialty hospitals in India, including Apollo Hospitals, are part of India’s crucial healthcare outreach to Africa.
“A team of doctors from Apollo goes to different countries in Africa to hold free camps for patients. The doctors, along with doctors from local partner hospitals, check patients,” Dr. Harinder Singh Sidhu told thestatesman.com during an exhibition at the IAFS.
“We also organise continued medical education for local doctors to update their medical knowledge. We provide specialised training for doctors from Africa. They come to us for training for three-six months as a part of an exchange programme,” said Sidhu, senior general manager, corporate development business head – Africa.
In the case of specialised operations, the patients are sent to India. “Such operations can’t be performed through tele-consultation. We can hold surgical workshops and they can observe from there,” the official added.
Most African patients travel to India for tertiary care, cardiac ailments, cancer, neurological problems, spine-related issues and for transplants.
Apollo Hospitals has partnerships with more than 30 countries in Africa. “We have partnerships in different models; in some cases our doctors go there, and in some cases their doctors come to us for training, or they send their patients to us,” he said.
Apart from Apollo, the other major hospitals that are connected to Africa through the Pan-African e-Network are the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Fortis, Maulana Azad and the Christian Medical College, Vellore.
Sidhu said that Apollo has hospitals in Nigeria and Ghana and also dedicated telemedicine centres in other countries.
Prathap C Reddy, chairman Apollo Hospitals, elaborating on the outreach to Africa, told thestatesman.com: “The Apollo Hospitals Group and Africa have an old and enduring relationship. We are keen to enhance the relationship that had begun with the people of Africa over a decade ago. Our engagement with the continent is beyond just being a provider of medical services. In fact, we have made it our agenda to engage with various countries of Africa to help strengthen their health systems, engage in knowledge sharing, partner in capacity building and help create a health infrastructure that makes countries self-sufficient.”
“We thank the leadership of African countries for their generous support and to the people of the vibrant continent for placing their trust in us,” he added.
India has said that ensuring access to affordable and quality medicines and treatment was an important area of cooperation between India and African countries.
“India’s expertise in healthcare and affordable medicines can offer new hope in the fight against many diseases; and give a newborn a better chance to survive. We will also collaborate to develop Indian and African treasures of traditional knowledge and medicines,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told representatives from 54 African countries at the October 29 India-Africa Forum Summit.
Africa’s Agenda 2063, adopted by all the African countries earlier this year, includes healthy and well-nourished citizens with long life spans as among its goals for Africa.
It lays down that by 2063, “every citizen will have full access to affordable and quality healthcare services”; Africa would have rid itself of all the neglected tropical diseases; put in place systems for significantly reduced non-communicable and lifestyle changes related diseases and reduced to zero deaths from HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; The African population will be a healthy and well nourished, enjoying a life expectancy of above 75 years; All barriers to access to quality health for women and girls would be non-existent.
By: Ranjana Narayan
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