Needy cannot be left at market force’s mercy
Strengthening public sector availability of medical drugs is considered to be an important way to relieve a large number of people from the excessive burden that buying drugs imposes. It is a well-documented fact that the poor, once trapped in the cycle of hospitalisation, seldom come out of it. About one-third of them fall below the unseemly poverty line. Additionally, what is euphemistically called out of pocket expenditure on medicines push 2.2 per cent of medicine dependent population below the poverty line every year. Close to 68 per cent of Indian citizens live without access to medicines. Globally, private expenditure on health constitutes about 70 per cent of all health expenditure. Out of that, a large proportion is spent on medical drugs. Countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development spend about 18 per cent on medical drugs. In comparison, India spends 20 per cent to 65 per cent on medical drugs. Such anomaly seems unexplainable. Either this is misinformation on drugs that is the dire cause of such high expenditure or the medical fraternity's off-hand manner to prescribe medicines. Perhaps medical bodies should streamline the method of prescribing drugs. limiting Government intervention to drugs would be incomplete. The crux of the problem lies with the lack of skilled staff in healthcare system, in other words, doctors and nurses that ought to be working to ameliorate health affliction of the Indian citizenry.
Health infrastructure must be modernised and small health centres should be created in districts, towns and centres all across the country that can guide the citizens on basic preventions vis-à-vis periodic diseases and health scares. These centres must also be used to address the health needs of ailing children, pregnant women and the elderly. The Government must lay the foundation of a robust health infrastructure. An efficient public health system has become essential for our country. With increase in economic growth, health ought to become a priority sector for the state. A healthy population would be well utilised in a growing economy. An unaided population, left on the mercy of quacks and medical superstitions, is often unwilling and unfit to work for the nation's progress. Unless the Government and private players learn to rationalise resources, that are spent on health systems, a large amount of resources, medical and financial would continue to leak through the already broken system. The needy that come to use its service hardly get appointment or medical attention due to lack of staff and similar technical deficiencies. The Government, in partnership with the private sector, must efficiently spend resources on building health infrastructure, imparting necessary skills to support staff and training of more doctors and nurses. It must ensure skills that are imparted, match industry standards and have a sure objective of serving Indian health needs.