The ASEAN Foundation and Royal Philips Electronics have held a roundtable discussion on “Healthcare Affordability: Delivering high-quality, affordable healthcare to rural communities” on 26 July 2011 in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. The event attended by academics, government officials and professionals from the healthcare industry in East Java, is part of a programme by Philips and the ASEAN Foundation to understand the healthcare needs of rural Indonesia.
“Philips is deeply committed to delivering affordable solutions to support the sustainability of primary and secondary healthcare needs in Indonesia. Our partnership with the ASEAN Foundation is designed to bring expert collaborators together to engage on the role that innovation and medical technology can facilitate access to healthcare in a cost-effective way,” said Mr Wayne Spittle, Senior Vice-President and Commercial Leader Philips Healthcare Asia Pacific.
Dr. Pranawa SpPD, K-GH, Chairman of Indonesia Medical Doctors Association, East Java, stated, “Poverty and unprecedented progress in health technologies are identified to have strained our health systems. In entering the new 21st century, our healthcare system should be able to provide a range of services that cover the full continuum of care, keep pace with technological progress and provide health care services to the entire population.”
Dr. Untung Suseno, Advisor to the Minister of Health of Indonesia on Finance and Community Empowerment, Dr. Makarim Wibisono, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, Mr. Wayne Spittle, Senior Vice-President and Commercial Leader for Philips Healthcare Asia Pacific, Mr. Teguh Purwanto, General Manager for Healthcare, PT Philips Indonesia and Dr. Pranawa, Chairman of the Indonesia Medical Doctors Association, East Java graced the forum.
“Philips is deeply committed to delivering affordable solutions to support the sustainability of primary and secondary healthcare needs in Indonesia. Our partnership with the ASEAN Foundation is designed to bring expert collaborators together to engage on the role that innovation and medical technology can facilitate access to healthcare in a cost-effective way,” said Mr Wayne Spittle, Senior Vice-President and Commercial Leader Philips Healthcare Asia Pacific.Participants at the forum discussed the current situation of healthcare in non-urban Indonesia, focusing on identifying the meaning of affordability and value to healthcare providers in the front-line.
Dr. Pranawa SpPD, K-GH, Chairman of Indonesia Medical Doctors Association, East Java, stated, “Poverty and unprecedented progress in health technologies are identified to have strained our health systems. In entering the new 21st century, our healthcare system should be able to provide a range of services that cover the full continuum of care, keep pace with technological progress and provide health care services to the entire population.” The Surabaya event is one of a series of roundtable discussions under a joint collaboration between the ASEAN Foundation and Philips. The goal of the events is to build a platform for the private sector to assist in the delivering of affordable healthcare in the region.
“Amidst the intrinsic diversity between countries in this region, there is a growing effort to learn that people is the center of healthcare development. Collaborative efforts between private, government and public sectors to implement new technology and strong advocacy of the patient-physician will lead the battle to obtain affordable and better access to healthcare for Indonesian people.” said Dr. Makarim Wibisono, Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation.
Succeeding roundtable will be held in Vietnam and the Philippines. The forum in Surabaya is also supported by the Indonesia Medical Doctors Association (Ikatan Dokter Indonesia – IDI).
