Mahatma Gandhi remarked
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
Expanding Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, Health is something on which countries Progress and Prospers, and if our citizens are healthy it is indeed a reflection of the country’s Health Policy. Article 21 of our Constitution states Health is a Primary Human right for every Indian.
Taking an insight of India’s Health sector. Health sector/industry is something which will never die in India. For a country of 1.2 Billion this industry is just going to thrive, it has grown exponentially and the outlook of Health Industry seems Healthy if the GoI take a look at it seriously. While other industry will have their share of ups and down, Health is something which each one of us just cannot afford to ignore as we grow in this intense competitive world plugged with all kinds of mental/physical/economical and emotional challenges.
I am lucky to be born in India n learn the essentials of surviving/existing (not living, Remember the difference between Living and Existing what we learned in school). It is not a joke for any country to reach a billion without a good hell sector (Sorry for the misspelling, it should read Health sector).
How Healthy is India’s Health Industry???
Pre-Independence days, our health care was more inclined to the traditional medicine than the conventional health care. Since Independence the influence of Allopathic medicine made steady progress in our country. While India population grew, the Govt just could not match/cater to the masses. The need for better, quick and effective medical care was getting a dream, this is when the GoI in ‘80’s allowed the Private sector to enter into the fray turning fm solo practitioners to nursing homes and later full fledged hospital. Today India has some of the World class State of Art hospitals. We have been boasting of Medical Tourism, wherein patients from abroad come over in hordes to get treated for various ailments/diseases. Viz: Bypass, Orthopedic, Dental, Child care, Cosmetic etc etc wherein combining the modern treatments & Ayurvedic Therapy. India has many Five n Seven Star hospitals in Delhi N Mumbai. We are backed up with a large pool of foreign educated/trained doctor who have mastered their skills. No doubt India is the best place to get hands on experience while G7 countries are showing a decline in population. The Pharma Industry is working in tandem with the Medical Profession to produce life saving drugs.
While India’ medical fraternity smile with the flow of their foreign patients and their earning fm the foreign exchange. A visit to some of these clinic will display Testimony from their patients treated in many foreign languages.
Our own Aam Admi on the street is left high and dry wondering why he has been deprived of this same facilities while the world comes here on a package tour of Medical & Pleasure. Are we 1st class or a 3rd Class citizens in our own country??? The only differentiating factor is that our guest who visit, brings along Foreign exchange while we slog on for several years paying taxes to not even get Basic Health care. This is an Irony.
Aam Admi’s Health Nightmare.
While the rich can afford the best of the treatments at any cost.
Walk in to any of the Govt or Local Municipal hospitals to gauge the ground reality.
I am sure u will be shocked to find the appalling conditions in these hospitals.
The beds, equipments, facilities, support staff etc etc. A lot is desired and the so called hospitals are not a make shift relief camp/clinic. As u travel to Tier 2 or 3 cities or to smaller towns, Primary health care is just not adequate.
I happened to visit one of the Municipal/Govt hospitals in Mumbai, shocked to find the way the patient’s r bundled, the Old & the sick frail, limping without even a proper wheel chair. I prayed for them wondering what changes if any, could have bn done to improve this. I was dumbstruck n helpless and wondered if our Govt is spending enough on this sector. This made me blog on this issue. Stats show that India just spends 5% of GDP on health care , while the US spends almost 16 % of their GDP. India also lacks the no of beds in hospital per 1000 population, while the world average is 4, India stands just a little over 0.7 beds per 1K.
Health care for a common man is at crossroads, it is just not affordable even to middle income group forget the LIG n BPL. We pay hefty medical premium to cover against any eventuality. However with inflation and escalating cost, the cover is just not sufficient. In case of any terminal illness or major surgeries it can drain not only all your savings but can transform the family fm rich to rags. Emergency care is only for those who can shell out money, Specialty care is well beyond reach for an average Indian.
Health Reforms will reach Health Care for all
We need more Doctors/Pra-medical staff and Well equipped Hospitals catering to the common man either funded thru Govt or philanthropist.
With India’ huge population, we could have one of the best Health care system wherein we can rope in lacs of youth in Primary Health care n Medical profession. We just need to stress the +ve side of this profession to attract the best talent.
Just in line of PPF, start a Medical scheme so that individuals can monthly set aside a nominal amount for Health, so that they could avail the facilities later in life.
In rural area, start a Co-operative Health scheme where in the daily labourer/farmer contributes monthly a fixed amount on a monthly basis which builds up the corpus and help the community as a whole
Last but not the least, WE NEED TO ENSURE AFFORDABILITY without which no amount of Advancement in Medicine will benefit the common man.
With Indian Population aging there is a urgent need to address above.
Let me end with a quote fm Benjamin “The Health of People is really the Foundation upon which all their happiness and all their power as a Country/State depend”
Thanks of reading, please post in ur comments or email ur valuable feedback to hkumanath@gmail.com .
Take care, God bless u and keep smiling.
Expanding Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, Health is something on which countries Progress and Prospers, and if our citizens are healthy it is indeed a reflection of the country’s Health Policy. Article 21 of our Constitution states Health is a Primary Human right for every Indian.
Taking an insight of India’s Health sector. Health sector/industry is something which will never die in India. For a country of 1.2 Billion this industry is just going to thrive, it has grown exponentially and the outlook of Health Industry seems Healthy if the GoI take a look at it seriously. While other industry will have their share of ups and down, Health is something which each one of us just cannot afford to ignore as we grow in this intense competitive world plugged with all kinds of mental/physical/economical and emotional challenges.
I am lucky to be born in India n learn the essentials of surviving/existing (not living, Remember the difference between Living and Existing what we learned in school). It is not a joke for any country to reach a billion without a good hell sector (Sorry for the misspelling, it should read Health sector).
How Healthy is India’s Health Industry???
Pre-Independence days, our health care was more inclined to the traditional medicine than the conventional health care. Since Independence the influence of Allopathic medicine made steady progress in our country. While India population grew, the Govt just could not match/cater to the masses. The need for better, quick and effective medical care was getting a dream, this is when the GoI in ‘80’s allowed the Private sector to enter into the fray turning fm solo practitioners to nursing homes and later full fledged hospital. Today India has some of the World class State of Art hospitals. We have been boasting of Medical Tourism, wherein patients from abroad come over in hordes to get treated for various ailments/diseases. Viz: Bypass, Orthopedic, Dental, Child care, Cosmetic etc etc wherein combining the modern treatments & Ayurvedic Therapy. India has many Five n Seven Star hospitals in Delhi N Mumbai. We are backed up with a large pool of foreign educated/trained doctor who have mastered their skills. No doubt India is the best place to get hands on experience while G7 countries are showing a decline in population. The Pharma Industry is working in tandem with the Medical Profession to produce life saving drugs.
While India’ medical fraternity smile with the flow of their foreign patients and their earning fm the foreign exchange. A visit to some of these clinic will display Testimony from their patients treated in many foreign languages.
Our own Aam Admi on the street is left high and dry wondering why he has been deprived of this same facilities while the world comes here on a package tour of Medical & Pleasure. Are we 1st class or a 3rd Class citizens in our own country??? The only differentiating factor is that our guest who visit, brings along Foreign exchange while we slog on for several years paying taxes to not even get Basic Health care. This is an Irony.
Aam Admi’s Health Nightmare.
While the rich can afford the best of the treatments at any cost.
Walk in to any of the Govt or Local Municipal hospitals to gauge the ground reality.
I am sure u will be shocked to find the appalling conditions in these hospitals.
The beds, equipments, facilities, support staff etc etc. A lot is desired and the so called hospitals are not a make shift relief camp/clinic. As u travel to Tier 2 or 3 cities or to smaller towns, Primary health care is just not adequate.
I happened to visit one of the Municipal/Govt hospitals in Mumbai, shocked to find the way the patient’s r bundled, the Old & the sick frail, limping without even a proper wheel chair. I prayed for them wondering what changes if any, could have bn done to improve this. I was dumbstruck n helpless and wondered if our Govt is spending enough on this sector. This made me blog on this issue. Stats show that India just spends 5% of GDP on health care , while the US spends almost 16 % of their GDP. India also lacks the no of beds in hospital per 1000 population, while the world average is 4, India stands just a little over 0.7 beds per 1K.
Health care for a common man is at crossroads, it is just not affordable even to middle income group forget the LIG n BPL. We pay hefty medical premium to cover against any eventuality. However with inflation and escalating cost, the cover is just not sufficient. In case of any terminal illness or major surgeries it can drain not only all your savings but can transform the family fm rich to rags. Emergency care is only for those who can shell out money, Specialty care is well beyond reach for an average Indian.
Health Reforms will reach Health Care for all
We need more Doctors/Pra-medical staff and Well equipped Hospitals catering to the common man either funded thru Govt or philanthropist.
With India’ huge population, we could have one of the best Health care system wherein we can rope in lacs of youth in Primary Health care n Medical profession. We just need to stress the +ve side of this profession to attract the best talent.
Just in line of PPF, start a Medical scheme so that individuals can monthly set aside a nominal amount for Health, so that they could avail the facilities later in life.
In rural area, start a Co-operative Health scheme where in the daily labourer/farmer contributes monthly a fixed amount on a monthly basis which builds up the corpus and help the community as a whole
Last but not the least, WE NEED TO ENSURE AFFORDABILITY without which no amount of Advancement in Medicine will benefit the common man.
With Indian Population aging there is a urgent need to address above.
Let me end with a quote fm Benjamin “The Health of People is really the Foundation upon which all their happiness and all their power as a Country/State depend”
Thanks of reading, please post in ur comments or email ur valuable feedback to hkumanath@gmail.com .
Take care, God bless u and keep smiling.
4 comments:
Hi Uma,
Nice DETAILED article.
To touch upon one pinching point you made about how foreign tourists are better off then citizens...how true!! Simply because foreigners bring in the money that India needs to SHINE while impoverished citizens don’t. We seriously need a Health plan in place for every citizen.
Yesterday, I was shocked to see an incident which screamed poverty. At a signal yesterday, a BMC garbage truck was visited by an impoverished woman who was teasing through the garbage to find some plastic. Now I understand plastic will earn her some money but how much? There is STILL so much of poverty....even at a time when we talk and take pledges about India Shining. I wonder whether this woman or people of this strata of society will ever be able to fund their medical claims. They pass off from the world just like that.
Hi Mearl,
Thanks, Noted u comments. Indeed Medical tourism has picked up pace in India while a common man struggles to get access to Medical aid.
Sad to read abt the Improvised woman picking up plastics fm the Garbage truck…..well, when is it going to change??? Hoping at least some kind of the affordability Health policy is in place 4 GenNext.
Uma
Cannot be more in agreement with you. Staying in Bombay, we find the health care services so inadequate and a nightmare. Imagine what it is to be in the interiors... and fall ill. I have seen the condition in small town municipal hospitals and dispensaries across India. It is a shame nobody talks/writes about them. In comparison, we are in paradise.
Hi Derek,
Tks for the f/b. Very true abt the appalling Health facilities in interiors. In cities though we hv the best medical facilities, it is affordable only by the elite/rich, there is a clear disparity in access to these facilities. Wish the Govt does some hard introspection,in the next 2 to 3 decades, India wl have a large aging population to care.
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