Improving the Quality of Health Care in India

Post-pandemic, the Indian healthcare system has been exposed to the world which showed major loopholes and insufficiency to tackle the emergency situation. Ever since then, the government has announced various subsidies, schemes, and policies and also included them in the budget to raise the spending and GDP of the health sector to a substantial level.

Quality Healthcare in India

Indian Healthcare Industry

The healthcare sector in India is one of the largest generating revenue as well as expenditure segment. Divided into two types: The public sector includes primary health centers, health & wellness center, and primary /secondary/tertiary centers in urban areas. Private players center more on health services in metros and urban areas.

With the expanding number of doctors, nurses, and medical and para-medical staff, medical manpower keeps soaring high. The ratio of total doctors/ nurses to the patient has increased drastically after the covid pandemic. They lag the infrastructure support with a very less number of hospitals and clinic centers limiting to a very less proportion of treatment access.

The government of India has announced an increase in the GDP of the healthcare sector in the 2021 and 2022 budgets. The lifestyle sector is expected to grow manifold in India due to an increase in awareness among the masses post-pandemic, threatening disease and its easy treatment in India, insurance facilities, and rising income.

Issues with the Health System in India

• Inadequate funding: Funding by the government is not as much on par with other developing nations.
• Staff crisis: The total number of medical graduates and current operative medical staff shows a leaky pipeline due to a lack of employment opportunities They are forced to accept underskilled jobs.
• Shortage of hospital beds: India faced an acute shortage of hospital beds during the second pandemic wave and it become one of the major reasons for rising deaths.
• Less government spending: Total GDP in health was only 2.8% whereas the expected GDP is a minimum of 5-6%.
• Costly treatment: Some of the treatments are too costly for poor masses and their inability to afford them raises the major issues.
• Lack of infrastructure: Inadequate infrastructure and a lot of burden due to overpopulation need to be formularized again.
• Less emphasis on research: There is no R&D, technology, or research-oriented mindset that poses major dependence on foreign medicine leading to a high import basket.
• Insufficient access: Much less rural access to hospitals, medical care, treatment, and other key facilities.

Government Initiatives

• Ayushman Bharat Health Mission: It is one of the largest schemes in the world in the health sector, covering a major population of rural areas and providing nominal / no feesThe government for diagnostics and drugs. It has included Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).
• PMSSY: The government has allocated funds to Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna in Budget 2021. It will bring about the up-gradation of existing medical colleges and the setting up of new AIIMS.
• National Health Mission: It includes a national urban health mission and a rural health mission.
• Jan Aushadhi Kendra: It provides generic medicines at the lowest possible cost. It aids the poor and deprived of, access to treatment.
• Ministry of Ayush: It was established to undertake and regulate traditional Indian medicines and disseminate them worldwide.

Constitutional Provisions

• The right to life and personal liberty as mentioned in Article 21 is a Fundamental Right of the Indian Constitution.
• State List of Schedule 7 focuses on healthcare delivery.
• Article 41,42,47,48 of DPSP mentions major provisions.
• Good health is also mentioned in Sustainable Development Goal SDG, and it is implemented in key areas of central Government.

Opportunities in the Health Sector

• The Indian healthcare system is expected to grow by 9 trillion dollars by the end of 2022.
• With the invention of the National Digital Health Mission, patients will be provided with a unique identification that will serve as the main background of government policies. It will reduce the cost since medical staff can keep track of patients’ past records and reports which will help them with diagnosis and provide treatment in a better way.
• Startups: India has encouraged the use of startups and unicorns even in the medical field which will yield entrepreneurs and fresh talents that will motivate research and development.
• Medical tourism:  Union government has laid down the medical tourism bill and it has become one of the major attractions of medical tourism in the world.

Need for quality improvement in the health care system

• Patient-centric: Improving patient safety and engagement, health literacy and patient communication is the major aim of improvement where patient needs and services lie side by side on the same page
• Data-driven analytics: To improve the quality of the healthcare system data analysis plays the most important role in minimizing variation and maximizing throughput. It helps to lessen  error and infection rates and ultimately to fewer readmission 
• Cost-effective and efficient: Streamlined and reliable process is easy to maintain, inexpensive, and generates the desired throughput. It becomes easier to eliminate the process failure
• A long-term investment:  In the organization’s health investment, driven by committed and stable leadership the health care system yields quality and standard of life improvement for the citizen
• Strengthen Primary health care: It is a fundamental responsibility and priority of the government to provide basic and primary healthcare facilities to rural since it comprises the majority of the Indian population

Indian mortality and malnutrition rates have been quite low. The country carries a disproportionate burden of the world’s sick that making quality health service a need and requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1. What are the advantages of quality health improvement in India?

Answer-

• Safe and effective: By improving the process, an organization reduces the chances of failure, embracing quality, transparency, and safety. 
• Proactive: Attempts to prevent and resolve issues before they occur.
• Inclusiveness, affordability, and efficiency are the base.

Q 2. What are different strategies for improvement?

Answer-

• Governance and Leadership.
• Drugs and supplies.
• Health Financing.
• Infrastructure.
• Availability of primary health care services.
• Workforce and access.

Q 3. What is the current stand of India in the health sector?

Answer-

India’s public expenditure stood at 2 % GDP as per the 2022 Economic survey. It is expected to rise three times from 2016-to 2022. The Indian medical tourism market is expected to grow along with boosting the e-health market size. Due to the growing population and the impact of the pandemic, the demand for health insurance is increasing. Medical colleges in India grew substantially and there is a huge market of employment opportunities.