Hyderabad, Nov 18: Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Group, advocated for health equity in India’s moonshot during the Dr V Chandramowli Memorial Lecture organized by the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) on Friday.
In her compelling address, Dr. Sangita Reddy, a Global Healthcare Influencer, Healthcare Technocrat, Social Entrepreneur, and former President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industries (FICCI), passionately discussed the imperative need for health equity in India.
The lecture, titled “Health Equity – India’s Moonshot” under the banner of Essential Medical Services, began with Dr. Reddy reflecting on the inception of Apollo Hospitals. She narrated the challenges faced by her father, Dr. Pratap Reddy, and the chairman, in securing funding for the hospitals’ development half a century ago.
Highlighting a stark reality, Dr Sangita Reddy emphasized that 50 per cent of the world’s children are undernourished, with 51 per cent of India’s children facing the same predicament. Stressing the importance of clean drinking water and sanitation, she asserted that the new normal in the healthcare ecosystem must focus on advancing health equity, marking a paradigm shift in the thought process.
The address concluded with insights into Apollo Hospitals’ Total Health program, a holistic community development initiative demonstrating sustained NCD management. Over 62,000 people across 189 villages benefitted from healthcare services, with 31,350 individuals classified by risk, and 1,980 diabetic and hypertensive patients receiving regular follow-up.
Dr Nirmalya Bagchi, Director General (I/c), ASCI, extended a warm welcome and introduced Dr. Sangita Reddy. Sri K Padmanabhaiah, IAS (Retd), Chairman-CoG, ASCI, provided opening remarks and presented a memento to the esteemed speaker.
