June 17, 2025
A pivotal sensitization meeting on Health Technology Assessment (HTAIn) was held at the Kalyan Singh Super Speciality Cancer Institute (KSSSCI), Lucknow, on 17th June 2025, aimed at creating awareness about HTA among Uttar Pradesh State Health Officials. The meeting was organized by Dr. Ayush Lohiya, Associate Professor at KSSSCI and Principal Investigator of HTAIn. The session, chaired by Dr. M.L.B Bhatt, Director KSSSCI, was attended by key health officials, including Dr. Geetha Menon, Scientist-F, and Dr. Oshima Sachin from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, Scientists from the Department of Public Health, Dr. Manish Kumar Singh from RMLIMS, Dr. Vijendra Kumar, Dr Varun Vijay of KSSSCI, and 35 State Health Officials. Dr. Bhatt, Director KSSSCI inaugurated the session, underscoring the importance of scientific decision-making in healthcare planning and expressed interest in developing a Model Rural Health Research Unit (MRHRU) in Lucknow. Dr. Geetha Menon presented the vital role of HTA in ensuring affordable, equitable, and effective healthcare, while Dr. Oshima Sachin provided an in-depth explanation of the HTA process, emphasizing its relevance in evaluating clinical effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and feasibility within the Indian context. Dr. Vikasendu Agrawal, Regional Director of NCD, UP, also highlighted the significance of HTA in economic evaluation and its potential to support the UP Health Department in assessing health interventions. He encouraged state officials to propose new interventions for HTA evaluation. Dr. Ayush Lohiya shared the institute’s success in completing four HTA studies, two of which have already been implemented, and reiterated the commitment to generate actionable evidence to guide health policy. He also expressed gratitude to Dr. ParthaSarthi Sen Sharma, Principal Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh, for his visionary leadership and unwavering support in advancing evidence-based health policies in the state. The meeting marked a significant step towards strengthening the HTA ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh, aligning the state’s healthcare planning with the national goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and ensuring that healthcare services remain effective, affordable, and patient-centred.
