The novel coronavirus pandemic has proven that India’s healthcare systems are fissured and in need of a complete overhaul, points out Dr Sanjeev Kanoria, founder, Suasth Hospital. As a healthcare entrepreneur and senior liver transplant surgeon, based in London, he feels that with more investments in healthcare infrastructure we can have a better chance at battling this pandemic and all such future healthcare emergencies
At the time of writing this article, India has recorded its highest single day spike of 50,000 coronavirus cases, taking the total caseload in the country above 14 lakh. These are just the official numbers and cases will most likely soar in the weeks to come. India’s healthcare system has always been under pressure with its doctor to patient ratio lower than WHO standards; India has 1 doctor for every 1,445 people, while the WHO prescribes 1 doctor for 1,000 people. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem of acute manpower shortage and has laid bare the need for enhanced healthcare management in India.
Challenges faced by India’s healthcare system during COVID-19
One of the biggest challenges facing the Indian healthcare system amidst this pandemic is shortage of doctors and nurses. In the past few months, hundreds of healthcare workers have quit their jobs due to fear of infection and lack of family support, while scores of others have demanded more money and insurance. In the nation’s capital of New Delhi, more than 2,000 healthcare workers have tested positive; this has further demoralised staff and doctors battling the pandemic on the frontlines. The lack of sufficient beds is another grave concern for densely crowded metro cities.
Even before the pandemic hit, India had just about 0.55 beds per 1,000 people, this problem has now worsened with hospitals running at full capacity and turning patients away. In a bid to tackle this problem, the government has made admirable efforts to increase bed capacity by turning hotels and stadiums into COVID treatment facilities. However, these efforts will be negated if there aren’t enough healthcare workers willing to work at these treatment centers.
Apart from the spread of COVID-19 in metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi, what remains an even bigger worry for India is its rural hinterland. According to a NITI Aayog report, the coronavirus is now rapidly making inroads into India’s rural areas. The report states that infections have spread to 98 of the country’s 112 poorest rural districts. This is troubling news because the country’s rural healthcare sector remains underserviced due to its skeletal medical services and lack of specialist doctors. The country’s stark rural-urban divide has made sure that healthcare in rural areas remains at the bottom rung. Added to this is India’s development paradox that has ensured that basic healthcare services are unavailable to a vast majority of the population. Millions of rural and urban poor families in India run into massive debts each year due to medical expenditure. According to a Lancet report, at least 40 million people in India are burdened with debt due to out of pocket payment for medical procedures and this remains the single most common cause of sudden emergent financial crisis among rural and urban poor in India.
India spends a small sliver of its GDP on healthcare—1.28 of GDP as of 2017-2018—in comparison to its peers, and the uncomfortable truth is that this has reflected poorly on our healthcare management. The novel coronavirus pandemic has proven that India’s healthcare systems are fissured and in need of a complete overhaul.
According to the World Health Organization’s preamble, “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental Rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.” India of course has a long way to go before attaining this standard, but with more investments in healthcare infrastructure we can have a better chance at battling this pandemic and all such future healthcare emergencies.