Ques. Critically analyse the major challenges of Health care system in India. Highlight government’s initiative to address these issues.
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Global Health Summit: Access and Affordable Healthcare for People of India’ was organised by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).
The Government plans to shift the focus from ‘sick care’ to ‘healthcare’ and reduce the need for hospitalization/ tertiary care. Focus will now be on comprehensive and holistic Primary Health Care including preventive and promotive health to improve health and reduce healthcare expenditure. The idea is to empower every person to be an agent of positive health, at individual and community level, and help create a “Social Movement for Health”.
Major challenges highlighted during summit:
- Providing access to quality healthcare at affordable rates
- Equity, access and affordability of quality health care to all, particularly to the poorest
- Shortage of manpower in terms of doctors, nurses and para-medical staff to enable effective delivery of healthcare services, particularly to the rural, remote and inaccessible areas of the country where the need for healthcare is felt the most.
- The burden on non-communicable diseases, also known as lifestyle diseases, when the disease burden on account of communicable diseases and MCH care has not been adequately addressed
There is a need to evolve innovative and cost effective solutions to achieve the aspirations of our billion people. It is our responsibility to ponder upon such ways and means to improve quality, equity, efficiency and accountability of healthcare systems for the large and common benefit of our people.