Dear Friends,

Thank you for joining us at the International Patients’ Union Conference on 7th April. Your presence and insights made it a new milestone for patients’ engagement with the government and other stakeholders. I am thankful to the top policy-makers from the central government - Dr. Vinod Paul, Member Health, NITI Aayog; Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India, and other officials and senior healthcare decision makers, who spent a lot of time listening to the patients' voices.

Together, we celebrated key milestones— the launch of the world’s first Patient Fellowship - IPU Fellowship, the release of the One Health report, and the unveiling of the enhanced IPU app, each aimed at empowering healthcare users in their healthcare journey.

This event reinforced IPU’s role as India’s only national platform dedicated to amplifying the voice of healthcare users.

As we move forward, the IPU will play a transformative role in driving systemic reforms, ensuring that every policy, service, and innovation centers around the needs and dignity of patients.

Let’s transform healthcare, together.

Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta, PhD
Founder
International Patients’ Union

---

Dear Friends,

We need to understand the ‘Purpose’ of what we do and whom we do it for. Healthcare is a unique sector, where you can earn by doing good and feel content that you served and saved someone and yet made money. But do we truly understand whom we serve? Like you, I served as a CEO in healthcare, and trust me, it’s too easy to get lost in market quantification, metrics, procedures, and profits. But at the heart of every healthcare decision lies a person—a patient with unique needs, hopes, and stories.

Our mission at the International Patients’ Union is to peel back the layers and re-examine the way we approach care. It’s time for the healthcare industry to step back and ask ourselves: Are we genuinely connecting with the people we treat, or have we become so focused on making money that we’ve lost sight of the human element?

I invite you to join us on this journey of rediscovery and accountability. Together, we can explore:

• What Truly Matters: By engaging directly with patients and policy-makers, we can uncover insights that lead to better, more empathetic care.
• A New Model for Success: Let’s redefine what success looks like—not just in money but also in the trust and well-being of those we serve.
• Collaborative Innovation: Your expertise is invaluable. By collaborating across the healthcare spectrum, we can create solutions that honor both business sustainability and patient-centered care.

It should be your inner calling—a call to rethink, re-engage, and rebuild the trust that is the cornerstone of healthcare. I encourage every leader, practitioner, and stakeholder in the industry to participate in this vital conversation. Together, we can ensure that the Indian healthcare system reflects the true value of human life.

This unique and the only patient conference in India is about insights for action. Let’s work together to ensure that every decision we make, and every innovation we pursue is guided by the genuine needs and dignity of our patients.

Thank you for being a part of this transformative movement. This is a fundraiser event, and the money raised will be used to create awareness and help those in need. Come, sponsor for a purpose: to serve those who need it the most. Join us on 7th April 2025 at India International Centre, New Delhi, and let’s do something.

Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta
Founder, International Patients’ Union &
Former Advisor to the Union Health Minister
Government of India.

---

Dear Patrons & Patient Champions,

On behalf of the International Patients’ Union (IPU), I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for taking time on a weekend to attend the IPU Conference 2024. Your presence, valuable contributions, insights, and engagement mean a lot for moving the needle from a supplier-driven healthcare system to a need-based care system. Your presence has significantly enriched our discussions and understanding of the ground-level issues and will undoubtedly propel our mission forward. As the first movement of patients, your joining has strengthened our resolve.

I am excited to inform you about several innovative initiatives that are set to transform patient care and healthcare delivery.

• We launched a new feature for rating doctors, hospitals, and government schemes, providing transparency and promoting excellence in healthcare services. So, you can share your views and rate the providers and government schemes through the Patients Union App that is available on both, Android and iOS.
• We will provide authentic information about drugs through our tie-up with India’s premier institution, Bombay College of Pharmacy. You can post your queries on the app directly and the team at the Bombay College of Pharmacy will provide you with the desired information.
• Recognizing patients’ pivotal role in healthcare, we will introduce a direct adverse drug reporting feature accessible through the Patients Union app over the next few weeks. This tool empowers patients to report adverse drug reactions directly to the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Government of India, facilitating a proactive approach to healthcare monitoring.
• Free Consultations: Over the next few weeks, we will offer free teleconsultations in collaboration with the eSanjeevani platform, making healthcare more accessible to everyone.
• We will launch ’The Voices Project’. All the patient videos will move to this project and if you are registered on the Patients Union app, you can share the videos with our team.
• We also received a sponsorship to help needy patients, and are launching Project FAITH (Financial Assistance and Intervention for Treatment and Health). If you wish to support this initiative, please write to me at founder@patientsunion.org

I want to inform you that a comprehensive report based on our deliberations will be submitted to the NITI Aayog and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). It will highlight the critical issues discussed and the collective insights gained during our conference.

We aim to give patients a ‘voice’ and the ‘power’, enabling them to be a formidable force before the industry and government. These initiatives will significantly contribute to this vision of empowering patients and carers.
To see glimpses of the International Patients’ Union Conference 2024, visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBkG2u
You may watch the discussions and deliberations of the Conference that was broadcast live on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/live/2YeNLmva-EE?si=p6PJ_B1fGPhthy1L

Please help us spread the word about the new features of the Patients Union app. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we encourage you to share your thoughts and suggestions for further improvements. Together, we can continue to make strides in empowering patients and transforming healthcare, and by the end of 2024, we should be the largest community of patients in India.

Thank you once again for your dedication and commitment. We look forward to your continued support and to making a difference in the lives of patients around the globe.
Let’s Transform Healthcare together.

Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta
Founder
International Patients’ Union &
Former Advisor to the Union Health Minister
Government of India.