Frugal innovation in healthcare need of hour: Dr Guleria

By Palak Narula


Director, Medical Education at Medanta, Dr. Randeep Guleria visited Bennett University to deliver a talk as a part of the National Science Day celebrations. The theme of the National Science Day for 2023 was "Global Science for Global Wellbeing" as declared by the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.

Padma Shri Award winner and Chairman Institute of Internal Medicine, Respiratory & Sleep Medicine Dr Guleria is globally renowned for his vast experience and exceptional contribution to India's COVID response as the then director of AIIMS.

Addressing the students of biotechnology, he spoke about the importance of global wellbeing post-pandemic. "There was a lot of inequity as far as global wellbeing is concerned. We are looking at the wellbeing of every individual irrespective of the place where he is, the socio-economic status, or whether he belongs to a developed or developing country…. It has become more important now as the world has become a global village," said Dr. Guleria.

Not only is the country's population growing, but there is also a shift in the demographic profile of the society. Strategic innovation in the medical sector is the need of the hour, as healthcare expenditures have skyrocketed and have become unaffordable for the low-income group, he said.

Commenting on the concept of One Health and the importance of health and the necessity of overall wellbeing, Dr. Guleria said, “When we start looking at health, it also has to be animal health, plant health, and environmental health because they are all interlinked. Infections are moving from one species to the other and causing problems, and therefore we have to look at health of not only humans but animals, plants, and the environment."

With the shifting focus on sustainability and technological advances, Frugal Innovation in Healthcare was the highlight of his talk. Creating cost-effective solutions in a resource-constrained environment is what is required to strengthen the future of healthcare in India. "Frugal Innovation means doing things in a cost-effective manner without compromising on the quality… This is possible and can be done in countries like India where there is this need, and I think it is going to have a global impact."

Moreover, the hike in healthcare and start-up budgets may be a boon to the innovation sector. "There has to be support in funding if the concept of One Health has to be taken forward, both in the development of infrastructure and support in research. There is a need for us to develop strategies for looking at health which is at a global level," he said.

(The writer is a Semester VI student of BA (Journalism and Mass Communication) programme.)