The need to twin quality standards with affordability will be the future challenge of healthcare, speakers at a National Conference on Quality in Healthcare, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Friday, said.

Scaling up the medical services and also reaching out to people in their locality will enable healthcare service affordable to the masses, Suneeta Reddy, executive director (finance), Apollo Hospitals Group, said in her keynote address.

Quality clinical outcome was what customers expected today and healthcare establishments had to endeavour for providing this.

She expressed her belief that technology and innovation would play a key role in accessing quality and cost effective healthcare services in future.

Nandakumar Jairam, chairman, CII-IQ Healthcare Quality Task Force, and chairman, Columbia Asia Hospitals, in his theme address said that healthcare scenario in India had changed dramatically over the last two decades.

The industry should focus on developing affordable and accessible healthcare, with quality and sustainability as key drivers.

He said that the gap between rural and urban healthcare facilities needed to be bridged in order to achieve “healthcare for all.”

P. Girish, head, CII Institute of Quality, said the institute was committed to pushing the quality agenda.

The focus of the seminar would be on the topic: ‘India at 75- Quality and Affordable Healthcare.'