Underlining healthcare is a fundamental right and not a privilege in this day and age, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday asserted that the Global South cannot be a hostage to uncertain supply chains and the vagaries of the global economy.
”The Covid period was a real learning experience. We must be better prepared for the next challenge. All of us want to strengthen healthcare systems, enhance patient safety and ensure affordable access. These goals would be better achieved if we collaborate more closely,” he said addressing the 12th International Health Dialogue here.
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Pointing out that India envisages health as central to development and development as key to international cooperation, he said that in recent years, many of the country’s global initiatives have revolved around health security.
”This is a domain where India has been a first responder, a development partner, a supply chain link, a health solution provider, a knowledge centre and in many ways, an exemplar. Allow me to dilate on these different dimensions,” he added.
The minister recalled that when the Covid pandemic started engulfing the world, initial deliberations envisaged India as potentially the biggest concern. ”Ironically, India not only looked after its own needs, but actually stepped forward to contribute to the world. We provided medicines to a 150 nations, vaccines to 99 countries and 2 international organizations, as well as masks, PPE kits, gloves and ventilators.”
Equally important, he said, was that India chose to do this when its own vaccination programme was still unfolding. A large number of developing nations received ‘Made in India’ vaccines, either through India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative or other global programmes. ”This was in contrast to many developed countries, who had stockpiled vaccines to multiples of their population. Indian medical teams also went out in the Indian Ocean region to deal with pressing situations in some smaller states,” Mr Jaishankar added.
This, however, was not just an exception made during the Covid era. ”In fact, it is part of our approach to the world both before and after. Recently, we dispatched 66.5 tonnes of medical supplies to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Similarly, a consignment of 1400 Kgs of Anti-Cancer medicines was sent to help the medical capabilities of hospitals in Syria. Even in Afghanistan, India stepped forward with 300 tonnes of medicines, as well as dispatch of specialists to a hospital that it built in Kabul,” the foreign minister said. he also gave other examples like India’s health assistance to Sri Lankan hospitals during the island’s economic crisis in 2022, to Ukraine as the casualties in the conflict spiked, and to Myanmar when it was struck by a typhoon Yagi.
He noted that India today has delivered more than 600 significant development projects in 78 nations. Many of them are in the health sector. In parallel, the private health industry has also contributed to facilities and capacities in different geographies.
