Medical Issues In India
While India's healthcare sector is one of the fastest-growing in the world, the lack of access remains an issue for its enormous population. Access to health care is not the only factor deterring people from seeking health care, but the cost as well. As per a National Survey Office report, only 19.1% of Indians living in urban areas have coverage or health insurance. As a result, the majority of the population is without coverage, and savings are being depleted to deal with medical costs. Additionally, 9.1% of urban Indians are likely to develop common health problems with infections being one of the major causes, contributing to 25.4% of hospitalizations. Among the other major health issues that urban India faces, cardiovascular diseases account for 21.9% of all cases, with endocrine and metabolic illnesses such as diabetes and thyroid dysfunction, cancer, etc. making up 20.8%.
If left undiagnosed or untreated, these health problems can have dire consequences. India is ranked 112th out of 191 countries by the WHO. It is even behind Bangladesh. There are peculiar health trends in India. In addition to a serious gap in health infrastructure, there is a double burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. The healthcare industry in India has had a compound annual growth rate of 15%, but public health challenges seem insurmountable despite the growth rate. There are only 1.5 hospital beds per 1000 people in India. Ironically, health tourism is also on the rise as U.S. and U.K. citizens come to India for low-cost treatment. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that 18.9 crore Indians will be at least 60 years of age by 2025, resulting in a significant burden on the healthcare infrastructure of India.
Major Health Issues Faced In India
1. Ignorance of rural populations:
Rural populations are neglected by India's health service, which is a serious shortcoming. The health service is largely based in urban hospitals. Although there are many PHCs and rural hospitals, the urban bias persists.
Health information shows that 31.5% of hospitals and 16% of hospital beds are located in rural areas where 75% of the population lives. Most doctors refuse to go to rural areas. As opposed to developing a health system dependent on paramedical personnel.
2. Culture Methods:
The health system in India is almost exclusively influenced by western models. It is not rooted in local cultures and traditions. The majority of its services are provided in urban hospitals. This has come at the expense of providing all citizens with comprehensive primary health care. As a result, preventive, motivational, rehabilitation, and public health measures have been completely neglected.
3. Inequality in society:
In India, the development of health facilities has been highly unbalanced. Rural, hilly, and remote regions of the country are under-served while urban areas and cities are well-developed. Poor people and SC/STs have little access to modern healthcare. Currently, Rural & Urban areas are heavily dependent on doctors, giving it a top-heavy character.
In India, there has always been a gap between the number of healthcare resources (doctors, paramedical staff, hospital beds, technology, medicines, etc.) and the number of people in need of healthcare. Consequently, preventive health care would be a more effective strategy than consolidating resources on curative services. Even more convincing is the fact that almost 80% of lifestyle diseases can be prevented by modifying health habits and detecting the possibility or the onset of a disease at a very early stage through preventive health screenings. The early detection of chronic diseases also helps prevent premature death or debilitating disability through preventive healthcare.
The expense for a Treatment/Surgery
In India, health services, especially allopathic ones, are quite expensive. This affects the average citizen. Various essential drugs are becoming more expensive. Therefore, alternative medicine should be given more attention. Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy are less expensive and more accessible to the common man. Overall, the health system is inefficient. Effective planning and more funding can improve the situation. Comparing the average cost of a hospital stay in government and private institutions. A government hospital would cost Rs 4,452 while a private facility would cost Rs 31,845. In the pan-Indian study, nine categories of ailments were examined and it was found that the cost went up eight times for musculoskeletal and cardiovascular conditions. The survey covered 1,13,823 households, and the data were collected between July 2017 and June 2018.
The study did not specify the duration of hospitalization and type of treatment and stopped short of going into state-by-state detail, so TOI conducted a random check on the costs of treatment in government and private hospitals in Bengaluru. The cost of hospitalization in private establishments is 2-20 times higher than in government institutions. Government hospitals charge Rs 1,500 for a one-day stay in ICU, while private hospitals charge Rs 30,000. An uncomplicated open-heart surgery at a private hospital costs Rs 2.8 lakh, and around Rs 95,000 at a public hospital. A knee replacement in a government hospital costs Rs 65,000 while it costs four times more in a private facility. Cancer treatment in private hospitals is the most expensive of all ailments. Public hospitals cost Rs 22,520, while private hospitals cost Rs 93,305. As a result, the government surrendered public health and medical education to private companies. As a result, there is a dearth of skilled personnel in government hospitals, making citizens opt for private care. Most people who cannot afford private hospital treatment should be treated by government hospitals, but that is not happening.
Measures to Address Healthcare
Making a major lifestyle change is not easy. Developing new habits takes time. In understanding the stages of change, setting small goals, and becoming more aware of our choices, we can lower the risk of chronic diseases. Rural and semi-rural geographies have unique challenges, and the industry has a strong role to play in providing robust solutions to meet the needs. Similarly, corporations can support health promotion and disease prevention activities through public-private partnerships. Engaging in a creative and positive manner can go a long way toward addressing health challenges in the next decade and beyond. To utilize the technologies effectively, healthcare professionals should also be trained and developed. A strong relationship between academia and industry is imperative to developing talent in this regard.