Woodlands MD prescribes humanitarian approach, funds for indigenous research at BGBS healthcare session

The need to approach planning in healthcare from a humanitarian perspective and stress on indigenous data-
based research were highlighted by Dr Rupali Basu, Managing Director & CEO, Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital Ltd at the sectoral session on healthcare as a part of the recently held 7th Bengal Global Business Summit.
The session, was attended by Mr N S Nigam, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Ms Melinda Pavek, USConsulate General in Kolkata, Dr Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health as well as the heads of top private
hospitals in the state. BGBS envisions bringing together corporate leaders, business delegations, entrepreneurs
and academicians from with the purpose of making alliances and formulating future policies in the various
sectors.
Speaking at the healthcare session titled “Opportunities for Multilateral Business Partnership forAccessible,
Affordable & Inclusive Healthcare in West Bengal”, Dr Basu said the forum was ideal for all stakeholders to renewthe pledge that “our basic objective is to reach out to the ailing and heal without any distinction between
patients”.Dr Basu mentioned Home Care services, telemedicine, development of rehabilitation medicine, solid organtransplantation and the need for planning to create in Bengal of a large research hub like the National Institute ofHealth (NIH) in Bethesda, USA as the correct way forward. She called for an “influx of funding” in indigenousresearch in niche areas like genome and bio-genetics. “We are a large community of people living in a smallgeographical area. This throws up a lot of indigenous data and scope for research to find molecules that work bestfor people in our communities. This research should be with indigenous clinical data followed by clinical trials,rather that running trials for drugs produced in the West,”she said.
Dr Basu’s also called on all hospitals to get accreditations, a process that will ensure that they adhere to
measurable quality indicators and standardisation of care, which, in turn, would lead to every single patient
getting the same high standard of care at any institute.Woodlands presented a Letter of Intent to the government on the occasion delineating the basics of the ongoingproject work to add 100 beds and enhanced facilities like a comprehensive cancer facility with advanced radiotherapy and increased out-patient clinical areas.