Topic Health

GS Mains Syllabus Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Health
not merely the absence of disease but as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing Determinants of good health: o Access to various types of health services o an individuals lifestyle choices o personal, family and social relationships Therefore, we can see various aspects of public health can be significantly affected by government policies and its implementations o Delivery of preventive, curative and public health services o Provisions for clean drinking water and sanitation o Influencing lifestyle choices via public campaigns, taxation (on alcohol, cigarette etc.), regulations and policies (banning drugs etc.)

Indias healthcare system mix of public and private sector providers o Networks of health care facilities at the primary, secondary and tertiary level, run mainly by State Governments, provide free or very low cost medical services o also an extensive private health care sector, covering the entire spectrum from individual doctors and their clinics, to general hospitals and super speciality hospitals

PROBLEMS Availability of healthcare services (public + private): o Desirable: 85 doctors per lakh populations; What we have: 45 per lakh (start of 11th plan) o For Nurses and ANM (Auxil Nurses & Midwives): 255 desired, we have 75 per lakh o Wide geographical variation in availability: Rural areas poorly served Quality o Many practitioners in private sector not qualified professionals o Regulatory standards ineffectively defined and enforced

Affordability o Expensive for vast majority of people, esp tertiary care o Lack of medicines in public hospitals out of pocket expenditure for patients large proportion of such expenditure in case of outpatient care which is not covered by insurance o Small proportion of population covered by insurance

THE PROBLEMS WILL WORSEN IN FUTURE Rising life expectancy large proportion of population will become vulnerable to chronic Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such diseases typically require expensive treatment So, dual problems Rising costs of managing NCDs and injuries + communicable diseases still major health challenge, both in terms of mortality and disability Estimated no of deaths in India (WHO, 2008): NCDs (53%); CDs (37%); Injuries (10%)