That healthcare in India is in an appalling state hardly needs to be overemphasised. More than 40 patients died recently following the strike by resident doctors in Rajasthan. It brought out medical inadequacy in sharp colours. Strikes over pay and working conditions by medics have become a recurring factor in different states. Prestigious institutions are no exception. Arresting and suspending striking doctors can only touch the tip of the iceberg. There is a woeful dearth of medical personnel in the country. States somehow run hospitals but in a condition which will shock people in advanced countries. Health care even in metro cities is poor and is not only unaffordable for many but also unavailable. The rural areas simply have to do without any healthcare to speak of.
Government-run hospitals reek of inefficiency. There is need to adopt new strategies to bring more private hospitals into the schemes. The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, a health insurance scheme has been adopted covering 2.4 crore families for a nominal fee. It ensures healthcare through 8,600 private and public providers in select districts. The Yeshusvini health scheme introduced by the Narayana Hrudayalya Super Speciality Hospital in Karnataka offers card holders free treatment in 160 hospitals on any procedure costing Rs. 2 lakh. The Aryogya Rakhsha Scheme in Andhra Pradesh provides hospitalisation and personal accident benefit to the BPL population. More such schemes need to be implemented to provide health services at a reasonable cost. Big hospitals run by corporates driven by the profit motive may be suspect however. The recent AMRI tragedy in Kolkata is a harsh pointer. The need for medicare in the Northeast is most acute because the poor people in the region become victims of drink and drug-addiction in large numbers.