Boehringer GM calls for reframing health as an investment beyond the sector: Reimagining Healthcare senior leadership series

In the Reimagining Healthcare senior leadership series, Dirk Otto, General Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim ANZ, shared his vision for an overhaul of the healthcare system and policy frameworks to address the needs of the 7 million Australians (~28% of population) living in underserved communities.

“We have a productivity crisis and we need to find ways to tackle this as a country. We know that medicine is health and health is productivity,” he stated.

Highlighting the stark disparity in life expectancy – 12 to 14 years lower in remote/rural areas compared to major cities – Otto identified the root causes of health inequities and called for challenging conventional thinking to address these issues.

“We have to get one thing fundamentally right. When once a year the Treasury puts together the budget, health shouldn’t be the biggest headache or the budget entry that they just see as a cost. It is an investment because every dollar invested in it gives a payback for the productivity of this country,” Otto emphasised.

He discussed the crucial role of the pharmaceutical industry in promoting equitable care. He advocated for companies like Boehringer Ingelheim to lead the conversation and invest in partnerships that bring advanced healthcare solutions to remote areas.

“As an industry, our superpower is our vision of the health system. No other player in the health system is so connected to all of the other stakeholders. It puts us in a good position to bring everybody to the table,” Otto stated.

Drawing lessons from international best practices, Otto stressed the importance of adaptable and sustainable healthcare models. He pointed to examples where technology and community engagement have successfully improved health outcomes in similar contexts.

In the short term, Otto outlined key actions necessary to pave the way towards this reimagined future of healthcare, saying “As we head to an election, it’s a fantastic moment to interact with political decision makers on how we want to position health investment as a country.”

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