Private healthcare needs reform in public interest

Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for healthcare reform in India, focusing on strengthening public services and regulating private healthcare, which constitutes around 70% of healthcare utilization. Recommendations in the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan’s People’s Health Manifesto, including transparency and standardization of rates, implementation of patients’ rights, and regulation of commercialization in medical education, point towards creating a public-centred system of universal health care.

Key Points:

• The pandemic exposed the challenges in India's healthcare, especially within the private sector.

• Private healthcare in India is noted for its lack of regulation and high profit-making, contributing significantly to the number of billionaires in the country.

• The manifesto calls for transparency in healthcare rates, implementation of standard protocols to curb irrational healthcare interventions, and enforcement of a comprehensive Patient Rights Charter.

• It also highlights the need for reform in medical education by controlling commercialization and restructuring the National Medical Commission and NEET.

• Implementing these measures could lead towards a rights-based access to free and quality healthcare for all, drawing upon models like Thailand's healthcare system.

Additional Insights:

• The wide range of rates charged by private hospitals, sometimes even within the same facility, underscores the need for regulatory measures to ensure fairness and transparency.

• The commercial pressures in private healthcare often lead to unnecessary medical procedures, highlighting the need for standard protocols to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.

• Grievance redressal systems with multi-stakeholder oversight are essential to address the power imbalance between patients and healthcare providers, aiming to rebuild trust in the healthcare system.

• Educational reforms in medical colleges are critical to ensuring equitable access to medical education and preventing the further commercialization of the sector.

Keywords Explained:

• Universal Health Care: A system that provides quality health services to all citizens without causing financial hardship.

• Jan Swasthya Abhiyan: A collective of national organizations working towards better health policies.

• National Medical Commission: Regulatory body for medical education and medical professionals in India.

• NEET: National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, an entrance examination for students wishing to study graduate medical courses.

Published in : The Hindu

Date appeared in newspaper : 08 April 2024

Link to the article (might require a paid subscription) : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/2024-04-08/th_international/articleGAJCL25P6-6390529.ece

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