CII report paints dismal picture of India's health sector
Exploring critical gaps in the health infrastructure in the country, a new report says that 7-8 per cent of households are pushed below the poverty line because of expenses incurred in health care.
Indians have inadequate access to quality health care and this is particularly true for the poor, those residing in rural areas, Scheduled Tribes and women, it says.
The India Health Report, released by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recently, has consolidated various facets of health sector in India such as access to health care, major inputs such as infrastructure availability, human resources, water and sanitation, nutrition, and the role of government.
According to the report, about 7–8 per cent of households are pushed below the poverty line because of expenses incurred on health care. There are critical gaps in infrastructure, especially with respect to the presence of health care centres and well-trained staff.
The report also states that the contribution of the private sector in terms of availability of hospital beds has gradually increased from about 28 per cent in 1973 to about 61 per cent in 1996.
In terms of under-nutrition, India's performance is no better than the countries in Africa and some of its neighbours such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, and it is substantially below that of countries in Latin America, China and the Philippines, it says.
India remains home to one-third of the world's undernourished children. Policy makers will need to incorporate the impact of their decisions on the nutrition profile of Indian households.
The focus needs to increasingly shift away from merely foodgrains and towards the intake of a variety of foods in the correct proportions, the report states.
On disease management in India, it says that health education and regular screening are crucial if the country is to tackle the spread of the diseases on an up trend.
The government also has to step up initiatives to create an environment where mental and physical disorders and disabilities are included in the mainstream discussion on health management.
The report recommends that India needs to move away from disease-specific measures and towards the development of a holistic public health and health care regime.
It states that focus is required to adequately empower the institutions that govern India's healthcare sector making them answerable for health outcomes.
