How to provide good and affordable health care for India?

Answer 1

As a doctor I feel the need to address this issue. Im currently training in the UK.
I feel the reason why health care is expensive is a result of the health care "industry", socioeconomics and the nature of medical education. The interplay of these factors are complex but as a doctor who wants to return to India to provide quality health care to the masses I have some strong beliefs:

1. Selection to Medical education must be fair and equal. It must be based on academic performance and personal interveiw. If a student is selected by capital fees and bribery will you be surprised if he goes on to become a doctor who cheats his patients and provides substandard care. If he has briobed his way into medicine is it surprising if he thinks of medical care as a business??
2. The number of postgraduate seats should be increased and the fees for courses decreased. This will prevent the doctors from trying to recuperate their investment by overcharging the general public.
3. The indian medical council should take an active role in monitering health care
4. Health care should be triaged Ie: the payment of care should be based on the baseline cost of the test and the patients socioeconomic state. A percentage of profit margins should be then used to subsidise costs.
5. The goverment should invest heavily in primary health care: as it has been doing for quite some time
6. Education and population control are paramount
7. Some one should encourage pharmaceutical and health care companies to regulate their activities, show greater transpariency and above all subsidise their goods to make it more affordable for doctors and patients.
8. Doctors should be encouraged to set up clinics. Their investments should be subsidised provided that they show service to the underpriviliged and primary health care programs. A medical community that is well supported will provide a good health care
As a footnote:
I am a proud graduate of St Johns Medical college in bangalore. They provide excellent health care at affordable rates. The reason is that the institution is run by a group of Dedicated, hardworking, intellegent and unfortunately less well paid doctors. They have sacrificed private practice and business for an ideal. I wish the country recognises the college for its ideals and gives the staff of st johns the respect and admiration it deserves. Such doctors and allied staff should be rewarded and compensated for what they give back to society.
I hope that I can return some day to india and help the community by providing a world class service to the masses. Unfortunately i dont find adequate support for this dream. But I guess where theres a will theres a way.

Answer 2

I am sorry I do not know the answer for India. We have the same problem in the United States, only 38% of the population can afford health Insurance. Thats says a whole lot.

Answer 3

Get India to quit dividing itself by class/caste, and start taking care of the poor. You can't force a country (or a person, for that matter) to make good decisions for its own good.

Answer 4

actually u 've asked a good question, great question friend. we all need to thik for this, only few people can't do e'thing. In India all stages of people are there, i mean to say middle class, upper class & lower class. for upper class they will surely go to any private hospital & throw their money & get themself the best treatment, main problem is for middle class & lower class, right? we can help them by telling them in which hospital they will get the proper care in reasonable rates, like in bangalore the st,. jhons hospital, u 'll get all facility in reasonable rate, along with proper medication. as a common man i'll help any people by tell ing them to go to the proper place in time.or u can help any institution who are helping for people.