Who Is At The Centre Of Our Policy Making?

Dr Arun Gadre, Founder, Member of Alliance of doctors for ethical healthcare, warns on the risks on privatising primary healthcare by handing it over to private players to earn profit

The news from Gujaratand the advertisement given by Punjab government for handing over primary healthcare to private players is not unexpected. For the last 30 years all over world, the magic spell of the mantra of Public Private Partnership (PPP) is seen to have mesmerised policy makers. There is a growing emphasis to put healthcare in markets and to promote competition with the hope that this would prove to be a panacea for defunct public healthcare.

India too gradually opted for passive privatisation of healthcare. Under World Bank’s pressure in 1990s, we started charging user fees for those destitute, poor and vulnerable who were, are and will be accessing government services out of compulsion. The 2003 budget accorded the status of an industry to healthcare. It opened the gate for finance entering in a big way in it. Today, corporate hospitals are flushed with foreign direct investment to the tune of billion dollars in solo pursuit of return on investment! With overt or covert support of policy makers, private health sector consisting of the key players – corporate hospitals, pharmaceuticals, device industries, vaccination industry and medical education; grew into a powerful behemoth, whom no one really regulates and makes accountable.