Healthcare in India not people's healthcare

Healthcare has become one of the largest sectors - both in terms of revenue and employment in India. Indian healthcare industry growing in a brisk pace with around 15% CAGR ( composed annual growth rate ) aiming 280 billion dollars by 2020. 

 

Major components contributing to this forecasting - Healthcare comprises, hospitals, clinical trails, medical devices, medical tourism, increasing services, strengthening coverage, increasing expenditure by public and private players. 

India's competitive advantage lies in it's larger pool of well trained medical professionals, other hand India having cost competitive advantage compared to his peers in Asia, Europe and other western nations. 

The above data points will make any global company tempted to invest in India to grow with the pace. A common man will say 'wow a great future a head' for Indian healthcare industry. He also expect the similar development in people's health. 

But in peoples health development not at all matching to the values what we seen in healthcare industry growth. In fact it is deteriorating year after year. Recently an international medical Journal published data about the global burden of disease ranking of 195 countries. India at the rank position of 154 among 195 where as a year before it was 143. There are some more interesting study out comes was published in various parameters that journal. 

• New born babies in Somalia and Afghanistan have higher chances of surviving than those born in India. 

• Healthcare Access and Quality Index (HAQ) based on mortality from causes amenable to personal health care was studied of 195 countries of the world, in this parameter Bangladesh and Nepal better than India. Bangladesh rank is 52 where as India's rank 45.(0 is least, 100 is highest. The lowest score/ rank recoded 29 by Central African Republic among 195 countries. Healthcare access and quality index measured on the bases of availability of quality health care to the people of the country) 

• India situation not encouraging in Tuberculosis, Neonatal disorders, Rheumatic heart disease, Inguinal, femoral, and abdominal hernia, Diabetes mellitus, Chronic kidney disease. Around 50% of the parameters of not able to achieve even the score of HAQ that is 45. ( 0 is least , 100 is highest. The lowest score/ rank recoded is 29 by Central African Republic among 195 countries ) 

• India score projected 1990, is 63.5 where as the achieved score 45, the difference between the frontier HAQ and observed HAQ is huge. That means Indian citizens suffering from burden of diseases and treatment non availability. 

• One of the main challenges is that health spending in India is mostly out-of-pocket

• Our healthcare budget is inadequate; the total healthcare expenditure at only 4.1% of gross domestic product, is the lowest in the BRICS group.

• nearly 70% of hospitals and 40% of hospital beds are private. 

• India does not have a central health reimbursement process, no willingness-to-pay thresholds, no consensus statement, policies or guidelines on economic evaluations in health. 

• Majority of the people in India depends on self healing techniques and alternative medicine.

• Lacking of awareness about disease and illiteracy.

I would like to make a point here that, it's crystal clear India as a country showing tremendous growth in healthcare industry but people's health deteriorating. I am sensing few reasons for this current situation.

So, Indian government should work on the issues and challenges to make this situation improve to look forward better out comes next time. 

 - Viswanadh Jayanthi