Medha Varshney explains about the access to the health care services available at the helm of the citizenry in India and the pervasive lacuna that should be addressed.
In a World Health Organization report of 2000, India ranked 112 out of 190 countries. In India, people are suffering from various health problems and with the increase in pollution, it also increases. The depletion of the ozone layer also causes much health issues.
In India people maybe of various categories – from the rich sections to the poor section, and therefore, they don’t have the same purchasing power. The health of an individual is integral, but the situation in reality is that the birth rate, death rate and the infant mortality rate is in a dismal position in India. Therefore, it also depends upon how the Government enables the health sector in the nation to flourish with the inflow of money and rapid implementation of policies instituted, but, however, the problem is that of the huge demand of money. Such a demand further escalates due to the corruption, large scale initiatives and the lack of efficient implementation.
The Govt. formulates the policies and laws on health, but such mainly tend to be pertaining to the populace in the urban areas. The private sector growth has escalated so much that the public sector is sidelined.
Due to lack of trust on doctors and hospitals, the patients are not clear that whether their invested money is used on the appropriate things, and in legal way or just to make money. The affordability is not same.
Reflecting upon the history, the Indian healthcare was not appropriate because of various reasons, viz :
- Unequally distributed skilled human resources
- Unregulated private sector
- Less spending on public health
- Fragmented health information systems
- Irrational use and spiraling cost of drugs
- Weak governance and accountability.
- Economic development, Education and Health
- Human Development Indicators
- High Burden of Disease
Therefore, the following shall constitute as the components of a healthy life style :
- Abstinence from tobacco use
- Regular exercise
- Balanced nutritious diet rich in vegetables& fruits, and low in fats and refined sugar
- Ignore pre and extramarital sex
- Proper Yoga and meditation
- Avoidance of alcohol and substance abuse
In order to grow, it is required that in every State, the Government should work for health care of the people and make various reforms for their benefit, so it brings benefit to the people at large.
Further, the Union Health Minister, Mr. JP Nadda, claimed that the Government works for availability of medicines for poor people at a cheaper rates. A list of essential medicine is made and the Govt. is working over that medicine to provide it at cheap rate to poor. Govt. also provides dispensary services, where, the persons who can’t afford much can get medicine either free of cost or at cheap rates. He also said the care has been taken to ensure that the blueprint focuses on the health of rural India.
The Govt. has also made the Affordable Care Act, which itself is a legislation which attempts to reform the healthcare system. It provides with affordable health insurance & also attempts to curb the growth of issues in health care services. It includes new benefits, rights, protection etc.
The law has indeed enabled in the removal the discrimination pertaining to the distribution of the health care services. It has helped in creating a new competitive health insurance marketplace , which provides access to group buying power, compare plan & receive cost assistance. It enables to put the budget and economy on a more stable path.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
It is realized upon an analysis, that, although there are several health care – based legislation and the associated policies in India, there lacks a due implementation of the same. Such a gap in the implementation of the schemes pertain to the pervasive incidence of corruption and other malpractices, which also affects the public distribution machinery and breeds the other allied unlawful practices as misappropriation of the health care facilities etc.
Therefore, the following measures shoul be considered for ensuring the good health standards of individuals and a proper distribution of the health care facilities :
- Present infrastructure for health care needs to be strong.
- Health perceived as an investment and receive huge budgetary allocation.
- Priority in education, safe/clean water and sanitation.
- Coverage of vaccination should be improved.
- Better implementation of national health programs.
- Use of the adequate resources by promoting most cost-effective strategies for disease prevention.
- Inclusion of all level of shareholders in planning & policy making by using tremendous human resource given in the country.
