Mumbai: Lauding the incredible progress of the healthcare sector in India, Sharmila Tagore, a celebrated film personality, yesterday said that India has come a long way in terms of healthcare advancement, but there is a need to prioritise rural healthcare.

Addressing the ‘15 FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards’ Ms Tagore said, "Indian healthcare sector has seen a tangible success in the last few decades. This sector in India has advanced with technology. I believe in our doctors and do not see any point in going to foreign countries and spending a good chunk of treatment while we have the capability within our country itself.”

She also applauded the efforts of FICCI for hosting the ‘Healthcare Excellence Awards’ every year to honour the invaluable contribution of individuals and organisations in the healthcare sector.

FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards 2023 former secretary of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare & Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India and jury chair- C K Mishra said that the Indian healthcare sector has come a long way, and a healthy India is no longer a distant dream.

“The healthcare sector has made significant progress. We need to work hard, explore new possibilities, and ensure that quality healthcare is accessible to all. A healthy India is no longer a distant dream. We need to step up our efforts in the healthcare sector and strive to bring about positive change,” he asserted.

Dr Harsh Mahajan, chair of the FICCI Health Services Committee at the 15 FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards, also emphasised the need to expedite efforts. He added that the FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards, which recognise organisations and individuals for their exemplary contributions to the healthcare sector, can serve as motivation for the healthcare sector to make remarkable progress in this direction.

Echoing a similar sentiment,  FICCI Health Services Committee co-chair Dr Sanjeev Singh; Medical director, Amrita Institute- Faridabad and chief Medical superintendent, AIMSRC Kochi also stressed the importance of recognising good work for progress.

FICCI hosted its ‘15 FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards’ to felicitate organisations and individuals for their invaluable contributions to the healthcare space in different categories on Thursday. The participants were evaluated on three criteria: Innovation, Impact Sustainability and scalability, by a distinguished independent jury panel chaired by C K Mishra.