Discuss the main drawbacks of our healthcare system.

Question – Discuss the main drawbacks of our healthcare system.

Answer

1. Unequal distribution of health care services: -Distribution of health care services is extremely unequal across rural and urban sectors/ areas in India. 70% of the total population lives in rural areas but most of the modern health facilities are available and developed in urban areas.

1. Only 20% of total hospitals are located in rural areas while 80% are in urban areas.
2. Out of a total number of beds, only 11% of beds are available in rural areas.
3. Only 50% of the total number of dispensaries are located in rural areas.
4. Only 25% of the total population in rural areas has access to proper medical facilities.
5. Public health centres (PHC) located in rural areas do not even offer X-rays or blood testing facilities.
6. Rural people have no access to any specialized medical care such as paediatrics, gynaecology, anaesthesia, and obstetrics.
7. There are only 0.36 hospitals for every one lakh people in rural areas while in urban areas one lakh people have 3.6 hospitals.

2.Spread of non-communicable diseases: Communicable diseases like AIDS, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) are raising and posing a serious threat to society.

Poor upkeep and maintenance (poor management) of public health care services Upkeep and maintenance (poor management) of public health care services is very poor.

(A) The quality of health care services in public hospitals is poor compared to private health care services.

(B)At present. 38% of the PHC have a required number of doctors and only 30% of the PHC have sufficient stock of medicine.

(C)There is a substantial mismatch between the personnel required and the number of health care centres.

That is why people are often too compelled to depend on private treatment.

3.Privatization: After the implementation of new economic policy government is gradually moving towards privatization of health care services Private sector health care services have been growing by leap and bounds and have been taking place of government sector health care services

More than 70% of the hospitals and 60% of total dispensaries in India are run by the private sector.

They provide health care to 80% of our patients and nearly 50% of patients.

2/3 of total beds are in the private sector.

But the health care services provided by the private sector are very expensive which is beyond the reach of the major part of the Indian population or not affordable.

4.Poor sanitation facilities: The sanitation level is extremely poor in both the rural and urban areas in India.

(A)About 30% of the houses in urban areas do not have toilet facilities whereas only 6% of total houses have toilet facilities in rural areas.

(B)By the year 2011, 20% and 31% of people have access to improved sanitation in rural areas, and the total population

respectively.

(c) Slums dwellers in urban areas live in a pathetic polluted atmosphere.

(d) Tap water availability is limited to only 24% of total rural households and the remaining households are still using open sources of water like well, tanks, ponds, etc.

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