Indian Diaspora can play a very important role towards development of tertiary medical care and quality medical research in the country, Union Health Minister Shatrughan Sinha said on Friday.

"Tertiary healthcare is an area which needs a lot of investment where we see a big role from the Indian Diaspora. Quality medical research is another vital area, which needs financial resources as well as scientific and technical expertise of non-resident Indians and Persons of Indian Origin," Sinha said while delivering his keynote address at a seminar to mark Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi.

Sinha said the country's corporate sector could also join hands with the NRIs in setting up such modern healthcare facilities.

Stating that NRIs have been playing a very significant role by contributing as much as 30-40 per cent of foreign direct investment into the country, Sinha said the government was committed to provide a conducive environment for attracting FDI into the sector.

Listing out the areas where they could extend their cooperation, he said health insurance and medical education were the other two areas, which were in need of support.

However, Sinha said, health should not be seen as an investment only in financial terms and providing affordable healthcare for the society in general and vulnerable people in particular should be seen as a service to the nation.

Speaking on the ocassion, Dr Naresh Trehan, cradiologist at Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre said the Indian Diaspora could help by adopting villages for monitoring availability of primary healthcare services in the country.

Lupin chairman and managing director, D B Gupta said the western world should now emphasise on the Indian system of medicines.

Suneeta Reddy, director, Apollo Hospitals said human body is priceless and sought infrastructure status for healthcare.