Healthcare in India: Difference between revisions

[[India]] has a [[Single-payer healthcare#History of the term|multi-payer universal health care]] model that is paid for by a combination of public and government regulated (through the [[Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority]]) private health insurances along with the element of almost entirely tax-funded public hospitals.<ref name="Zodpey et al 2018">{{cite journal |last1=Zodpey |first1=Sanjay |last2=Farooqui |first2=Habib Hasan |title=Universal Health Coverage in India: Progress achieved & the way forward |journal=The Indian Journal of Medical Research |date=2018 |volume=147 |issue=4 |pages=327–329 |doi=10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_616_18 |pmid=29998865 |pmc=6057252 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The public hospital system is essentially free for all Indian residents except for small, often symbolic co-payments in some services.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/india|title = India &#124; Commonwealth Fund|date = 5 June 2020|access-date = 9 October 2020|archive-date = 24 December 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201224001128/https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/india|url-status = live}}</ref> [[Economic Survey]] 2022-23 highlighted that the Central and State Governments’ budgeted expenditure on the health sector reached 2.1% of GDP in FY23 and 2.2% in FY22, against 1.6% in FY21.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/policy/economic-survey-2023-govt-spent-2-1-of-gdp-on-healthcare-in-fy23/97488091 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2 July 2024 |archive-date=2 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302062539/https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/policy/economic-survey-2023-govt-spent-2-1-of-gdp-on-healthcare-in-fy23/97488091 |url-status=live }}</reF> India ranks 78th and has one of the [[Health spending as percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by country|lowest healthcare spending as a percent of GDP]]. It also ranks 77th on the [[list of countries by total health expenditure per capita]].

Government health policy has thus far largely encouraged private-sector expansion in conjunction with well -designed but limited public health programmes.<ref name="Palgrave">{{cite book |last1=Britnell |first1=Mark |title=In Search of the Perfect Health System |date=2015 |publisher=Palgrave |isbn=978-1-137-49661-4 |location=London |page=60}}</ref>

Indian nationals and foreigners who work in the public sector are eligible for a comprehensive package of benefits including, both public and private health, preventive, diagnostic, and curative services and pharmaceuticals, with very few exclusions, and no cost sharing.

The National Urban Health Mission as a sub-mission of [[National Health Mission]] was approved by the cabinet on 1 May 2013.<ref name="NUHM">{{cite web|url=http://nrhm.gov.in/nhm/nuhm.html|title=NUHM|access-date=6 May 2015|archive-date=7 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407195113/http://nrhm.gov.in/nhm/nuhm.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) works in 779 cities and towns with populations of 50,000 each.<ref name="Sharma-2016"/> As urban health professionals are often [[specialty (medicine)|specialized]], current urban healthcare consists of [[Secondary hospital|secondary]] and [[Tertiary referral hospital|tertiary]], but not [[primary care]].<ref name="Sharma-2016" /><ref name="De Costa-2009"/> Thus, the mission focuses on expanding primary health services to the urban poor.<ref name="Sharma-2016" /> The initiative recognizes that urban healthcare is lacking due to [[overpopulation]], exclusion of populations, lack of information on health and economic ability, and unorganized health services.<ref name="John-2008">{{cite journalConference|last1=John|first1=Denny|last2=Chander|first2=SJ|last3=Devadasan|first3=Narayanan|date=2008-07-02|title=National Urban Health Mission: An analysis of strategies and mechanisms for improving services for urban poor|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264259923|doi=10.13140/2.1.2036.5443|publisher=Unpublished}}</ref> Thus, NUHM has appointed three tiers that need improvement: Community level (including [[Outreach|outreach programs]]), Urban Health Center level (including infrastructure and improving existing health systems), and Secondary/Tertiary level ([[Public–private partnership|Public-Private Partnerships]]).<ref name="John-2008" /> Furthermore, the initiative aims to have one Urban Public Health Center for each population of 50,000 and aims to fix current facilities and create new ones. It plans for small [[Municipal Government|municipal governments]] to take responsibility for planning healthcare facilities that are prioritized towards the urban poor, including unregistered slums and other groups.<ref name="Sharma-2016" /> Additionally, NUHM aims to improve [[sanitation]] and drinking water, improve [[Community outreach|community outreach programs]] to further access, reduce out-of-pocket expenses for treatment, and initiate monthly health and nutrition days to improve community health.<ref name="Sharma-2016" /><ref name="John-2008" /><ref name="NUHM" />

India has set up a National Telemedicine Taskforce by the Health Ministry of India, in 2005, paved way for the success of various projects like the ICMR-AROGYASREE, NeHA and VRCs. Telemedicine also helps family physicians by giving them easy access to speciality doctors and helping them in close monitoring of patients. Different types of telemedicine services like store and forward, real-time and remote or self-monitoring provides various educational, healthcare delivery and management, disease screening and disaster management services all over the globe. Even though telemedicine cannot be a solution to all the problems, it can surely help decrease the burden of the healthcare system to a large extent.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Telemedicine in India: Where do we stand? |year=2019 |pmc=6618173 |last1=Chellaiyan |first1=V. G. |last2=Nirupama |first2=A. Y. |last3=Taneja |first3=N. |journal=Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |volume=8 |issue=6 |pages=1872–1876 |doi=10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_264_19 |pmid=31334148 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Recently Dr Edmond Fernandes, Director, Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health stated that Public Health must find a place in the National Classification of Occupations 2015 in India to boost the health sector. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Fernandes |first=Edmond |title=Fixing India's health profile |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-insight/public-health/fixing-india-s-health-profile-101723881489264.html |website=Hindustan Times}}</ref>