India, Qatar hold first meeting of JWG on healthcare co-operation
(MENAFN- Gulf Times)
India and Qatar held the first meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on healthcare co-operation in a virtual format, the Indian embassy said in a statement Tuesday. The meeting, under the 'MoU on Cooperation in the field of Health' signed by the two countries in 2016, was led by Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, Ministry of health and Family Welfare of India and Dr Mohammed al-Hajri, director of Emergency Preparedness and Response Department, Ministry of Public Health, Qatar.
During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on Digital Health and Pandemic Management; Regulatory cooperation in Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices and Diagnostics; Exchange of medical professionals and experts; Medical value tourism and possible areas of collaboration. The two sides noted the need for regular interaction between the respective drug regulatory authorities and experience sharing in the regulation of medical devices, the embassy statement explained.
Both sides acknowledged the effective handling of Covid-19 in each other's countries and shared best practices adopted by both sides. The Indian side briefed about the efforts of the health authorities in controlling the Covid-19 situation due to which the current average cases in India are around 7,500 and the positivity rate is 0.67, lowest in over a year. More than 57% of the eligible population of India has received vaccines with over 1.36bn vaccine doses having been administered so far.
The Indian side briefed the Qatari authorities regarding the certification of medical professionals in India, particularly the allied health workers and about the new National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act 2021. The Indian side invited medical professionals from Qatar to visit Indian Healthcare facilities as part of exchange programmes. The two sides agreed to share further information in this regard.
The Indian embassy statement said that Qatar expressed interest in India's traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda and Homeopathy and both sides agreed to enhance co-operation. The Indian side also invited Qatar to avail of the opportunities provided by the robust and professional health sector in India for Medical Value Travel.
Both sides agreed to convene the next meeting of the Joint Working Group at the earliest at a mutually convenient time, the statement added.
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