The recent findings by World Bank that the number of hospital beds per thousand people in India is much lower than the world average has revealed the creaking medical infrastructure status.
Importance of Medical infrastructure:
1. India is prone to seasonal diseases (Eg: Dengue). Robust medical infrastructure is utmost importance to shift essential drugs on emergency basis.
2. The diversified demographic profile of India needs readiness to cater to the needs of all sections of people. Eg: Gender sensitive medicine, Geriatrics and Mental health care for youth.
3. Vaccination programmes-Mission Indradhanush and Universal Immunization program- need well trained medical human resources to achieve success.
4. Changing consumption patterns and lifestyles would lead to more chronic diseases. They should be handled to maintain healthy workforce.
Measures:
1. Right-sizing public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP in accordance with the population size.
2. Harmony of purpose between the public and the private healthcare delivery systems to achieve public health goals.
3. Empowering ASHAs role by training and pay revision.
4. Robust Medical human resource management policy to train and manage staff to serve on Pan-India basis.
5. Restructure and revise the draft of National Health Policy to suit the demographic needs.
6. Special emphasis on primary care and child health care that integrates state, district and local governments with national health policy goals.
The demographic dividend of India can be harnessed not just with skill development alone but by complementing with sound health care policies to keep the workforce strong.
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