To create a platform that brings together the Dutch and Indian expertise in digital technologies, apex Healthcare industry body-NATHEALTH and the Netherlands Embassy recently organized a Digital Health Conference in New Delhi. The conference aimed at driving digital innovation in healthcare.

The Dutch healthcare experts are in India on a Digital Health Mission to explore bilateral collaborations in the sector. The Conference brought the Dutch Delegation in contact with relevant stakeholders from the ecosystem to help forge partnerships in the eHealth domain.

While welcoming the experts, NATHEALTH Secretary General Siddhartha Bhattacharya said, “Our main agenda was to understand how both countries can work in partnership to address common challenges faced by the sector and co create solutions. Digital health awaits a huge opportunity as the country aspires to become a middle income nation by 2030 given its technological penetration, advancing economy and accelerating healthcare industry.”

“To achieve the goal of Universal Health Care with continuum of care across primary, secondary and tertiary facilities, digital interventions would play the role of a powerful catalyst. Digital health interventions, with huge opportunities for investment and penetration, would make India a global leader,” he added.

Highlighting Dutch expertise and a need for collaboration in the digital healthcare space, Ron Roozendaal, Director of Information Policy and CIO Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Netherlands said, “Life Science and health is priority sector for strategic investment in both the Netherlands and India.  Growing market opportunities in India, combined with the Netherlands’ strengths in areas such as Digital Health, Medical devices and Diagnostics create excellent opportunities for partnerships that address shared societal challenges with smart solutions.,”

“India and the Netherlands have a joint ambition to provide high-quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to all. Rapid developments in India create opportunities for the adoption of e-health concepts from the Netherlands and the joint development of new solutions that help bring care from the hospital to the home.  We look forward to explore these opportunities during this mission and learn about new approaches that might help address challenges faced in both our countries”, he added

During the session experts highlighted the benefits of digital health and said that it is time for the healthcare industry at large to step up its efforts for better outcomes. The experiences of digital health technology forerunners (such as The Netherland) provide collaboration opportunities with key partners like India.

The session also showcased on existing PPPs in Med-Tech/ e-Health space and highlighted Global Stars collaboration on Medical Robotics between IIT-M and Eindhoven Medical Robotics.  Cardiac AI Program (Apollo Hospitals, Microsoft & MUMC), Living Lab on eHealth & Med-Tech drew much attention of the experts. These success stories indicated both potential and opportunities in digital health space. 

The area of digital healthcare is also a central theme for the India-Netherlands Technology Summit in October this year. The annual conference-cum-exposition organised jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, will celebrate Indo-Dutch excellence in science, technology and innovation in especially the NEXUS of water-agrifood-health.