Kolkata, 6 October 2026: A significant number of patients from West Bengal continue to travel to other states seeking medical treatment, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen healthcare services and restore public confidence in the state’s healthcare system, said Dr Indranil Khan, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Youth Services & Sports, Government of West Bengal, at the 20th edition of Healthcare East, initiated by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Kolkata.
Dr Khan emphasised the importance of promoting both mental well-being and physical health and called for the establishment of more wellness centres across the state. He also advocated stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to bolster the state’s overall healthcare infrastructure.
Speaking on the evolving healthcare landscape, Dr (Mrs) Suchitra K. Ella, President Designate, CII, and Co-Founder & Managing Director, Bharat Biotech International Limited, posed a fundamental question: “Can a citizen get the right care, at the right time, at an affordable cost—irrespective of geography, income or social circumstance?”
Dr Ella stressed the need to develop distributed models of healthcare delivery, with investments extending beyond tertiary hospitals to encompass the entire healthcare continuum. Highlighting India’s achievements in vaccine development and manufacturing, she noted that the country has emerged as one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers and suppliers.
She also drew attention to challenges related to insurance claims, empanelment, contracting, medical inflation, data sharing and discharge procedures. While these issues may appear technical, she urged the healthcare industry to ensure that patients do not bear the consequences of inefficiencies or disagreements within the healthcare ecosystem.
Mr Jayanta Roy, Managing Director, Peerless General Finance & Investment Company Limited, spoke about the vision of “Swasth Bengal – Viksit Bengal” and advocated increasing healthcare allocation from the present 3.5 per cent to 7 per cent of West Bengal’s GSDP.
Highlighting outreach, transparency and affordability as the three key pillars of healthcare, Mr Mitesh Daga, Co-Head – Healthcare, TPG Capital Asia, described these elements as essential foundations for building a robust and accessible healthcare system.
Mr Prashant Sharma, Chairman, CII Eastern Region Healthcare Subcommittee and Managing Director, Charnock Hospitals, outlined the potential to create one lakh jobs and attract investments worth Rs 10,000 crore in the healthcare sector. He also put forward several recommendations for consideration by the state government, including extending infrastructure status to the healthcare sector.
Mr Mehul Mohanka, Chairman, CII Eastern Region and Managing Director & Group CEO, Tega Industries Limited, spoke about the convergence of artificial intelligence, robotics and telemedicine and their potential to bridge healthcare gaps across different regions.
Mr Rupak Barua, Chairman, CII West Bengal State Council and Managing Director & CEO, Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital Ltd, highlighted the adoption of Ayushman Bharat by the state. He also noted the visible improvement in investor confidence in recent days and appreciated the infrastructure-related announcements made in the latest state Budget.
A parallel interactive session with Dr (Mrs) Suchitra K. Ella on women in leadership was also organised, bringing together women entrepreneurs to discuss the evolving landscape, challenges and opportunities for women in leadership in West Bengal.
The 20th edition of Healthcare East brought together policymakers, healthcare leaders, industry representatives and entrepreneurs to deliberate on strengthening healthcare delivery, improving accessibility and affordability, encouraging investment and building a more resilient healthcare ecosystem in the state.
Photo caption (Left to Right)
Photo 1: Mr Prashant Sharma, Chairman, CII Eastern Region Healthcare Subcommittee & Managing Director, Charnock Hospitals, Dr Ayanabh DebGupta, Co-Chairman, CII Eastern Region Healthcare Subcommittee & Regional Director-East, Manipal Hospitals, Mr Mitesh Daga, Co-Head-Healthcare, TPG Capital Asia, Mr Mehul Mohanka, Chairman, CII Eastern Region and Managing Director & Group CEO, Tega Industries Limited, Dr (Mrs) Suchitra K Ella, President Designate, CII & Co-Founder & Managing Director, Bharat Biotech International Limited, Mr Rupak Barua, Chairman, CII West Bengal State Council & Managing Director & CEO, Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital Ltd, Mr Jayanta Roy, Managing Director, Peerless General Finance & Investment Company Limited, and Mr Rahul Singh, Director and Head, CII West Bengal.
Photo 2: Mr Rupak Barua, Chairman, West Bengal State Council & Managing Director & CEO, Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital Ltd, Dr Indranil Khan, Hon’ble Minister of State, Independent Charge, Department of Youth Services & Sports, Government of West Bengal and – Mr Prashant Sharma , Chairman, CII Eastern Region Healthcare Subcommittee & Managing Director, Charnock Hospitals
