The growing demand for quality healthcare and the absence of matching delivery mechanisms pose a great challenge. The responsibility of the healthcare sector is two fold, i.e. (i) providing world class medical/surgical services in the hospitals for the Indian people, (ii) realization of the Millennium Development Goals of reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Development of skilled manpower for both the areas mentioned above is important. Numbers is only half the story-the quality of skill in each of them is all important. Clearly, investing in human resources for health is imperative for development. Worldwide shortage of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff has led to an exodus of such manpower from India. A major challenge for our nation and the healthcare industry would be not only to retain the healthcare workforce but also to develop an environment, which would attract those abroad to return. Many of the tens of thousands of health professionals living outside of their country of origin are willing to contribute their skills to their home countries. India is now creating an environment for the NRI brain bank to flow back towards the home country, so that the fruit of advancement in science and technology could be tasted by the natives.
Access to quality healthcare in the private sector till now is limited by the high cost. Less than 10% of India s population today has some sort of health insurance cover. Famous Dr. Devi Shetty is in the process of offering health insurance coverage to the farmers and Dalits of Karnataka. There are good efforts elsewhere. However, the rural health insurance remains largely ignored. Lack of awareness about various schemes has been one of the major challenges in spreading rural health insurance
The author has summed up the challenges of healthcare in the following chapters : Lack of Quality in Public Health; Indian Economy and Health; Reforms in Healthcare; Improving Rural Healthcare; Investment in Healthcare can Spur Growth; Better Environment can Reduce Healthcare Costs; Aspects of Preventive and Promotive Healthcare; Women's Healthcare and Empowerment; Injuries are a Major Challenge to Healthcare; Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Futuristic Approach; Appendices. |
