Goa Institute of Management (GIM) along with Xandev Foundation will be organizing a conference on ‘Frugal Innovation in Healthcare’ on 14th November at the GIM campus in Goa. The conference will be inaugurated by the Health Minister of Goa, Mr. Vishwajit Rane. The keynote speakers at the conference will be Dr. R. Strijker and D. G. Zondag who will speak on ‘Biotech Research on Ageing’. Also speaking at the conference will be Padmashree Fr. Joe Pereira, founder and managing trustee of Kripa Foundation, one of the largest and oldest NGOs working for rehabilitation of drug addicts and alcoholics. The Hon’ble Health Minister will also open, at GIM, a Workstation of ‘Scientists without Borders’ which will allow scientists in Goa to access the website of the New York Academy of Sciences.
An analysis on the economic and health indicators for BRIC countries, the healthcare scenario in India from 1950 to 2050 as well as the healthcare scenario in Goa will be presented during the seminar by GIM’s Prof. Ajit Parulekar and the GIM team consisting of Dr. Ambuj Chaturvedi, Mr. Ashish Kumar, Ms. Janki Murlidharan, Ms. Shruti Dua and Mr. Ashaya R. Kantawala. Dr. V. N. Jindal, Dean GMC and Dr. Francis Pinto of Xandev Foundation will also present aspects of Frugal Innovation which be followed by a panel discussions with Dr. V. N. Jindal, Prof. Ajit Parulekar, Fr. Romuald D’Souza and Mr. P. F. X. D’Lima. The conference will conclude with a case study by Fr. Joe Pereira (Padmashri) of the Kripa Foundation on Alcoholism Addiction and HIV Treatment which is done at Kripa at practically no cost.
By some estimates, health care spending in India will grow from USD 40 billion in 2008 to more than USD 300 billion in 2023. GIM proposed that with cost control one could spread the healthcare net wider and make it accessible to the less privileged sections of our society, hence the need to focus on cost effective healthcare. Many social entrepreneurs in India are working on cost effective healthcare.GIM had invited many of these pioneers to Samriddhi 2009 a seminar on Social Entrepreneurship which was held in September 2009. This conference on frugal innovation in healthcare is a continuation of that drive to make relevant healthcare costs effective and accessible to all.
The Government of Goa has made large strides in improving healthcare facilities to larger sections of Goa. In the recent past there have been several schemes launched by the government – the diabetes control scheme which provides insulin to all diabetics, schemes for dialysis for patients with kidney disorders, a centre for neurological care for infants, PPP centre for super specialists etc. All these will reinforce the mediclaim schemes of the Government which make the healthcare facilities for the people of Goa the very best in the country and comparable with the better schemes in more developed countries. This example could be emulated by other states in India, and would be affordable by them, if they are made more cost effective with frugal innovations in healthcare – which is the focus of the conference.
Fr. Joe Pereira who was awarded the Padmashri in recognition of his excellent work in the Kripa Foundation on Alcoholism Addiction and HIV Treatment will present a case study to show how good work can be done in a very frugal manner. One of the centres of the Kripa Foundation is at Anjuna in Goa and has been recognized to do excellent work here.
The delegates to the conference who will participate in the discussion include some high profile names from India and abroad and will contribute in raising the level of the discussion at the conference.
This conference is proposed to become an annual feature at GIM.
