Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Government expenditure on health needs to be raised considerably' that was published in Newsband

Government expenditure on health needs to be raised considerably

According to a survey conducted, India continues to have a non-serious approach to the provision of universal health coverage to all its citizens. India’s health system is one of the most privatised in the world, poorly regulated and accessible only to those with income levels well above the average.

The share of State governments, which are largely responsible for provision of health care, is very less. Despite rising government revenues, a big part of health expenditure, is met by households out-of-pocket.

India should feel ashamed about the fact that even a small country like Thailand has 75 per cent of the population brought under UHC in just one year.

If the NDA government intends to pursue its promise of universal health assurance in earnest, it has to act decisively by raising government expenditure on health.

There are villages in India where even today there is no PHS around 35 kms, and there are number of places where the woman due for delivering child has to be carried by four persons on their shoulders making a hammock of child, and four persons have to carry her for minimum 6 to 7 kms. There are incidents where the poor could not be provided with a vehicle to even carry the dead bodies to the cremation ground. So one can access the gravity of the situation.

The government should not shirk the responsibility of providing free and easily accessible health care to all its citizens particularly poor and middle classes. The vicious cycle of laboratory tests, medicos nexus with labs and health insurances and private hospitals makes health an enterprising business and not a service. Better the government act early and set right the menace.

The health of India is suffering due to lack of investment in the Health services and the degradation of the environment, more pollution, increasing population, overcrowded cities. Successive Governments have ignored the Health of the Nation.

The health of our nation is suffering owing to following reasons: (1) Youths are not interested in spending more number of years in medical college for degree. (2) Too much expectations from the doctors by the patients and their relatives. (3) Limited resources in the smaller town hospital and PSCs. (4) Free treatment to the patients even though the so called patients get money from government and use smart phones. (5) Private hospitals pay more to doctors hence majority prefer to join private hospitals than Government hospitals. (6) Assault on doctors (7) No security for the medical staff (8) Government policy of posting AYUSH doctors in hospitals has created more quackery. (9) No ASV or working ventilators in government hospitals (10) No Job safety for doctors and no accountability for the doctors or paramedical staffs of government hospitals. They are frequently beaten up. (11) Soft target of public and press, media. (12) Too much private practice by the government hospital doctors without getting any punishment. (13) Cost of everything has gone up, so also of medical treatment.

Healthcare in India is pathetic to say the least with minimal spending by both centre and state governments.