Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday held discussions with Indian cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Shetty on exploring cooperation to strengthen Brazil's public healthcare system through smart hospital management and digital healthcare solutions, according to Brasil 247.
The meeting focused on the experience of India's Narayana Health network, which is globally recognised for delivering complex surgeries and specialised treatments at comparatively lower costs through efficient hospital management and digital systems.
According to Brasil 247, the meeting was attended by Brazil's Health Minister Alexandre Padilha, Planning and Budget Minister Miriam Belchior, and physician Ludhmila Hajjar, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of São Paulo. Dr Shetty is currently visiting Brazil at Hajjar's invitation to participate in an international congress on hospital emergency and critical care.
During the meeting, Lula discussed the possibility of establishing a trilateral partnership involving the New Development Bank (NDB), also known as the BRICS Bank, the Brazilian government and Narayana Health.
According to Brasil 247, the proposed collaboration seeks to integrate Narayana Health's expertise in hospital administration, digitalisation and delivery of advanced medical treatments into Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) to improve efficiency while reducing costs.
Lula noted that the Narayana Health model, which operates hospitals in India and the United Kingdom, could support the technological transformation currently underway in Brazil's public healthcare system.
The hospital network has gained international recognition for implementing standardised processes, digital healthcare systems and management practices aimed at improving hospital productivity without compromising patient care.
The proposal under consideration includes adapting these practices to the needs of the SUS, particularly in areas such as patient regulation, waiting-list management, hospital bed administration, patient monitoring and the delivery of high-complexity surgeries.
Lula said the healthcare sector offers significant opportunities for cooperation among Global South countries. He added that Brazil and India already collaborate in pharmaceutical production and have considerable scope to deepen cooperation in digital healthcare services and modern hospital management.
According to Brasil 247, the initiative aligns with Brazil's broader strategy of enhancing cooperation among Global South nations through the exchange of technology, expertise and successful public policy models.
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