President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chair and Indian Health and Family Welfare Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda in New Delhi on Tuesday, exploring opportunities for stronger cooperation in the health sector.
The courtesy call took place at the Taj Mahal Hotel and focused on India’s proposal for broader health collaboration with the Philippines, including the exchange of best practices for the Philippine health system. “The first part of the meeting was about India’s healthcare system — how they cover about 600 million people for maternal care, hypertension checkups, breast, oral, and cervical cancer screening,” said Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who attended the meeting.
Herbosa highlighted India’s use of ASHA workers, or Accredited Social Health Activists, who play a role similar to Filipino barangay health workers in facilitating community access to healthcare. “It’s a model we can look at. They also have a good telemedicine system,” he added.
During the meeting, Herbosa presented Nadda with a signed memorandum of understanding between India’s National Institute of Ayurveda and the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC). Nadda responded positively, stating, “Let’s prioritize this, and we will help you,” according to Herbosa.
The discussions also covered the increasing number of Indian medical students studying in the Philippines and India’s interest in the Philippines’ cost-effective and high-quality liver transplant services. “I’m very happy that we now have a Strategic Partnership with India. They are global leaders in healthcare,” Herbosa remarked.
He noted the Philippines’ reputation for its nurses and India’s for its doctors, recalling his training days in Chicago, where he worked closely with many Indian physicians. “They were among the best — intelligent, dedicated, and world-class. I hope we can learn from India’s experience to improve our own health system,” he said.
Since 2014, India, under the BJP-led government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has become one of the world’s largest providers of generic medicines and healthcare services, developing extensive public health schemes that benefit hundreds of millions. This meeting is part of Marcos’ five-day state visit to India, which also marked the formal elevation of Philippines–India relations to a Strategic Partnership.
