Re-engineering India's healthcare

A stronger primary healthcare is essential to achieve the health-related SDGs and universal health coverage

- DR PANKAJ GUPTA

India’s health may not entirely depend on more robust hospital systems only – primary care that covers comprehensive promotive, protective, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care to meet a person’s health needs forms the basis of good health and can substantially reduce the burden of providing secondary and tertiary care to those who may now need it due to poor starting score.

Interestingly, we may, at this juncture, wistfully note that primary healthcare became a priority for leaders from all over the world as late as 1978 when the Alma Ata Declaration, a significant milestone in the field of public health, was signed.

Challenges of primary healthcare in India

According to an industry report, the key issues primary healthcare in India face are a vicious mix of poor density and quality, leading to poor utilisation as well as increasing grip of uncertified medical practitioners (UMPs). Infrastructure shortfall is nearly 20% in sub-centre and primary healthcare centres and goes up to 50% in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.