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India, Sri Lanka to expand cooperation in healthcare sector
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Our Bureau, Hyderabad
February 18 , 2015
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Both India and Sri Lanka have decided to expand cooperation in medical
and healthcare sector. To this effect, J P Nadda, Union health and
family welfare minister, government of India met with Rajitha Senaratne,
minister of health and indigenous medicine, government of Sri Lanka and
discussed various issues related to increasing cooperation between the
two countries in the healthcare sector.
As part of this, Union
health minister focussed on India’s strengths in generic and traditional
medicines and highlighted the need for increased cooperation between
the two countries to contain the spread of evolving deadly viral
diseases like Ebola and Swine flu.
In fact, cooperation in
healthcare and pharmaceutical sector between India and Sri Lanka was
started during the year 2012. During that time India had offered to set
up a pharma hub in Sri Lanka, as part of its bilateral relationship with
the island nation. Both Sri Lanka and India had jointly appointed a
high level bilateral task force to implement the Indian proposals in
order to increase bilateral trade from $5 billion to $10 billion by the
end of 2015.
Very soon both the governments are expected to sign
Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) during the next South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting that is expected to
be held in New Delhi. “We are in the process of finalising the drafts
of cooperation in healthcare and pharma with Sri Lanka. Very soon MoUs
will be signed between the two countries,” informed a source in the
health ministry.
It is also understood that cooperation between
India and Sri Lanka has been continuing since long even when there is no
formal MoU or agreement. Particularly in the healthcare segment India
has been assisting Sri Lanka in areas like upgrading the medical
facilities in Jaffna Teaching Hospital and district hospitals in
Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu. A 200-bed ward complex at the General
Hospital Vavuniya and a 150-bed hospital in Dickoya are also near
completion.
Both ministers have also discussed on issues related
to import of bio-similar products. It is also understood that both sides
have agreed to resolve the issues, if any, amicably through mutual
consultations.
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