Mumbai: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday said that Information Technology can play a crucial role in addressing several critical issues in the country's health sector.
Nadda, who was the keynote speaker at the H3C Health Sciences Innovation Conference here, commended the collaboration between the Ohio State University and AIIMS, New Delhi, in the field of regenerative medicine.
He informed that the country's first Regenerative Medicine Centre at AIIMS has been launched in partnership with the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Based Therapies (CRMCBT) at the Ohio State University.
Hoping that such ventures will give fillip to health-based research in the country, Nadda said that such research must be people-centric and benefit humanity.
He beckoned the students, fellows and faculty from the Ohio State University to collaborate with Indian universities and health institutions to undertake research in varied health issues.
"India with its huge population, the burden of communicable as well as non-communicable diseases, coupled with shortage of human resources in the health sector including doctors, specialists and paramedical staff still faces several challenges," he said.
Nadda further said that he looks forward to partnership with the Ohio State University and other such academic bodies to work together to address these challenges.
He assured political commitment towards all health issues in the country, and towards any collaboration with academic bodies that seek to work in the health sector in the country.
Echoing the sentiments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nadda emphasised on the need for paying attention to 'skill, scale and speed' while developing solutions to health issues.
"Skill is not a static process; it is continuous and succeeds with constant updating and sharing," he said, adding that academic exercises such as this conference form a crucial element towards skill development and enhancement.
Nadda said that a balance needs to be struck between quality and quantity when providing health services.
The Health Minister stated that India's relationship with the Ohio State University goes back a long way. He reminisced about the role of the Ohio State University in enabling the Green Revolution in the country.
Dr. Michael Drake, President of the Ohio State University; Dr M.C. Misra, Director, AIIMS New Delhi; and Prof. Chandan Sen, Ohio State University, were among those present at the conference.
More than 100 delegates from the US will be participating in the three-day conference, which will have about 60 technical sessions.
