Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Health should be made a fundamental right' that was published in Newsband

Health should be made a fundamental right

On the last day of 2014, the Union government made public the draft National Health Policy 2015. The policy is a first step in achieving universal health coverage by advocating health as a fundamental right, whose “denial will be justiciable”.

Can universal access to affordable health-care services become a reality? It is high time the dysfunctional health-care services in the country are set right. Insufficient funding over the years combined with other faulty practices have led to a dysfunctional health-care system in the country. The failure of the public health-care system to provide affordable services has led to many avoidable deaths.

Adopting a National Health Policy and proclaiming health as a fundamental right is a good step. Equitable distribution of health care is a dream as of now. Quality health care is available only to the elite. Strengthening the public health care system should be the top priority with proper monitoring and evaluation. Corrupt medical practices should be stopped. Pharmaceutical pricing is a major policy challenge linked to providing universal health coverage.

At the same time, it has to be ensured that the Health Sector does not evolve into an industry through rampant commercialisation. There has to be a monitoring mechanism to curb the ills in this sector like arbitrary pricing, indiscriminate / unwanted tests and medical procedures, lack of transparency, etc which are bringing a bad name to this humanitarian service area. Such a holistic approach is what is urgently required if the common man should get his due. Whatever increase in health care spending is envisaged, it should not go towards paying insurance premiums to major insurance players. Instead strengthen basic facilities and ensure proper nutrition and sanitation.

The Policy on health care has to be addressed to common people’s aspirations. The primary health care system in all the states is in want of dire changes. The indifferent attitude to public health care comes to the fore when there are calamities of accidents, onset of communicable diseases when the administration finds it difficult to attend to the severity of the situation. A case in point is the dengue attack in several states when the availability of common drugs was in scarcity. Also the allocations to the health sector towards the treatment at hospitals for the senior citizen are at the mercy of the hospital administration. An open hearted approach to this problem will go a long way in making a healthy nation. A new look is essential in the deployment of essential medicines at the hospitals and a decent financial allocation to this sector. The drug cartel is to be reined in to supply the essential medicines at a decent price. Health care should not become a contentious issue.

Nutrition and health are the most important human needs. The Government's concept of Health as Fundamental Right is in the right direction. It is an unparalleled measure. Refusing health care must be made a punishable offence. It is only then will it have desirable effect and contribute to healthy nation.