Brazil’s Lula meets renowned Indian surgeon, announces partnership to strengthen healthcare via BRICS
Brasilia, Aug 4 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced a new healthcare cooperation initiative involving the BRICS Bank, the Brazilian government, and India’s Narayana Health network to improve hospital management and digitalisation in the country’s public health system.
In a post on X shared by the Embassy of India in Brazil, Lula said he met renowned Indian cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Shetty to discuss the experience of the Narayana Hospital network, which is globally recognised for delivering advanced medical care at affordable costs.
“Today I received Doctor Devi Shetty to discuss the experience of the Narayana smart hospital networks in India, renowned for providing high-complexity surgeries and medical treatments at low cost,” Lula wrote.
The Brazilian President said he was accompanied during the meeting by Health Minister Alexandre Padilha, Minister Miriam Belchior, and Dr Ludhmila Hajjar, Full Professor of Emergencies at the University of São Paulo (USP).
Lula noted that Dr Shetty is currently in Brazil at the invitation of Dr Hajjar to participate in the International Congress on Hospital Urgencies and Emergencies.
Highlighting the significance of the collaboration, Lula said the partnership would help bring Narayana Health’s expertise in hospital administration and digital healthcare to Brazil’s public health system, known as the Sistema Unico de Saude (SUS).
“The trilateral partnership between the BRICS Bank, the Brazilian government, and the Narayana network will promote cooperation for the implementation in the SUS of all the management and digitalization experience of procedures that have made medical and hospital care more efficient and affordable in this hospital network in India and England, contributing to the technological revolution we are carrying out in the SUS,” he said.
The Brazilian President also underscored the growing scope of health cooperation among developing nations, particularly within the Global South.
“The health sector is one of the most promising areas for cooperation between Global South countries. Brazil and India have already advanced significantly in initiatives for the production of medicines and have enormous potential to progress in the areas of digitalisation and hospital management in the coming years,” Lula added.
The announcement reflects expanding India-Brazil cooperation in healthcare under the BRICS framework, with a focus on affordable medical care, digital health systems, and hospital management. The proposed collaboration is expected to support Brazil’s efforts to modernise its public healthcare infrastructure while drawing on the operational model developed by Narayana Health in India and the United Kingdom.
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