No mean task –handling health-care of 1.2 billion peoplefor any country or government. Health-care services in India have undergone a vast change over the last few decades. The industry is expected to supersede China by 2030 in terms of population expansion.
India has a curious mix – a mixed healthcare system – public and private. Public health-care is used mostly by the less affluent people and also for emergency services. There are ‘super-facility’ hospitals–mostly for the rich and affluent, locals and foreigners. These create headlinesin India’s economic progress stories that claim to provide health services at par with hospitals in developed nations.
Lack of accountability and quality in government health centers are not new. Even in private hospitals,the question of accountability is raised; the records of patient care, death count, re-admissions, hidden cost etc. are yet to be properly regulated. India needs a tough health-care monitoring and overseeing bodywhich does not cow down to powerful groups, who own these facilities.
India needs many more health care centers, doctors and health workers. Medical tourism is a fascinating business proposition. And, yes, India has capabilities at par with many developed nations. But how many Indians can avail ofthese limited, expensive facilities is not clear.
While Americans are dependent totally on private health care system and health insurance, it’s a mixed bag in India. Few Indians have health insurance, but that should significantly increase in the coming decade as health-care cost rises and more people try to move up the ladder to opt for the expensive private hospitals.
India must not follow the US model of complete privatization and dependence on Health insurance. Yet, India’sless fortunate must not suffer. The poor, middle-class and rich – all must have access to proper health-care system which they can afford.
India is fast becoming hub of many diseaseslike diabetes, heart-related ailments and cancer. India also has one of the highestscore as far as road-side accident casualties go. Primary reasons for these are – lifestyle-related and lack of education.
In order to succeed in creating a truly healthy society and country, preventive health care, training and education is the keyfor India. Countries like America banned many artificial food ingredients including saturated fat, high-sugar beverages etc, and developing countries like India must follow suit. Usage of pesticides, hormones and other chemicals in agriculture, dairy and meat industries are major concerns that India is yet to address.
Backed by the rich heritage of Ayurveda and Yoga, it is unfortunate that India has to take lessons from the West to go back to the natural, organic way of eating and living. India can do better to reach a balance and reducedependency on modern medicines, which are expensive and also add many side-effects to the patients’ health– granted the professionals are properly trained with a fair degree of accountability.
An unhealthy person will havean unhealthy mental state and will have an unhealthy way of living which will affect satisfaction and productivity. This affects not only the health of the person himself, but his family, society and entire nation.
In any case, India needs a lot of catching-up to do inhealth-care services, quality, accessibility, affordability, prevention, correcting lifestyle and spreading education.
Two sectors in India have limitless potential to grow – education and health. Indians globally can join hands with people in India to get it right.
