The Modi government embracement of the Indian diaspora has enhanced the profile and endorsed the luminous of the Indian state in South Africa.
The recognition of the diaspora has re-enforced the organic connection long dormant, but so relevant today as the remarkable progress and advances emanating from India resonates.
As part of the diaspora here, of Grimitiya origin, we take pride in the aforementioned – a testament to the dynamic leadership of Shri Modiji, the vision of the BJP and the tenets of the Indic civilization and ethos.
Beyond the resurrecting our pride as being of Indian origin, the embracement of the Indian diaspora by the Modi government has elevated our standing in the wider South African society.
This follows a range opportunity (study, trade, research and development, etc), afforded by the government of India (GoI) to the wider population in SA. Beyond the GoI initiatives, but emboldened by these, a raft of (known) private initiatives has followed in fields of specialised health care and agriculture.
In respect of health care the following are examples:
* Specialised surgery, a SA-India Surgical Group has flourished with online academic meetings.
* visits to centres of excellence in India acquiring technical expertise (for organ transplantation).
* An initiative to bring the Jaipur Foot to SA is being planned presently.
Medical tourism to centres of excellence in India
One cannot place the quantum on the spin-offs of such initiatives in respect of endorsing of claims to the national patrimony during challenging times for SA. The success of the SA-India relationship has been solidified in the context of the BRICS accord.
The trajectory of this – a reflection of India’s visionary outreach initiative – will find great traction in the rest of Africa (arguably more in other BRICS affiliates), given our shared colonial history, devastation and socio-economic challenges.
India’s role in addressing the challenge of Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
The UHC is expressed in the UN 2030 agenda as part of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in goal 3 which focuses on health; UHC is critical to the attaining of good quality health services by all without incurring financial hardship. To this end, there are several initiatives that have been driven by the Modi government that has great relevance to SA,the rest of Africa and the BRICS affiliates.
Ayushman Bharat scheme
The scheme provides cashless health insurance coverage of up to $7 000 (R132 127) in 2023 per family per year for medical treatment in empanelled hospitals, both public and private for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation and prescriptions after a hospital stay for up to a year. As a result, India has made significant strides in providing coverage of what could otherwise be catastrophic healthcare costs. Out-of-pocket expenditure (people spending on their own) on health, globally is pushing millions into poverty every year.
The ongoing success of this scheme makes this an option for SA, to factor in the envisioned planned NHI project.
Jan aushadhi stores
This project allows access to medicines at cheaper prices. This initiative extends coverage of quality generic medicines so as to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure on medicines and thereby redefine the unit cost of treatment per person. The scheme offers over 1 600 medicines (including anti-cancer drugs) and 250 surgical items (including surgical implants and capping costs of stents). This scheme can be readily reproduced and will contribute immensely to the attainment of UHC in SA and the rest of Africa.
Increasing pool of health-care personnel
Central to the pursuit of UHC is the availability of trained medical practitioners. This is a challenge in developing countries. It is remarkable that since 2014, 262 new medical colleges have been built, resulting in the increase of seats in medical colleges. The lessons and experience from this achievement will have much relevance in SA, where thousands of students have to pursue their medical studies abroad. While this make have less relevance to the other BRICS affiliates, it certainly will have appeal to the rest of Africa.
Digital Health Mission (DHM)
The DHM provides a digital health ecosystem that will provide universal health coverage, including access to health records and other health care services for all citizens. This has particular relevance in developing for developing countries. In India, millions have transitioned to telehealth consultations during Covid-19, allowing them to receive care without extensive travel costs while minimising the spread of illness. The system has been refined; it has the potential to offer advise on treatment, reporting X-rays and to rationalise appropriate intervention. The DHM has great potential in SA; SA (and Africa) could benefit immensely from tapping into DHM.
Vaccine development
India is a world leader in vaccine manufacturing, and Indian pharmaceutical companies supply more than 50% of global demand for different vaccines needed for global immunisation. India has made admirable contribution to vaccine research and development. It follows that SA will benefit enormously in collaborating with India in respect of vaccine manufacture and research.
Pari passu with health-care initiatives, India’s agricultural success has great relevance for SA and Africa in terms of primary production as well as marketing of agricultural products in the SA domestic market and as an export market. To this end SA can co-operate and learn how to address: the following:
* How SA and Africa can emulate India’s agricultural success
* Looking at intervention by the India government to improve agricultural productivity,
* Food security.
* The approach by the Indian government to make the country food secure, growing enough wheat for a billion people.
* Milk production by the masses and not mass production by one.
* Green revolution.
* The impact of the Indian green revolution on agriculture.
* Agriculture technology – Sonalika and Mahindra tractors.
* Agritech entrepreneur support.
* Manufacturing capacity with respect to insecticides, fertiliser and farm equipment and animal medicine.
* Modiji’s call for a second green revolution.
* Growing the Indian import market for produce from Africa.
The aforementioned are some of the initiatives of the Modi government that will have much traction in SA and the rest of Africa – and will ensconce India as the foremost driver for UHC.