In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge the public healthcare system faces in the country?

For years, we have not given due importance to clinical care. We do not have the required equipment and infrastructure to promote health issues. Though the public healthcare system has lived up to its expectations in providing primary healthcare under the National Rural Health Mission, which includes preventive measures, there is a need to ensure better clinical facilities in the government hospitals.

And what do you think is the reason behind this?

The apparent reason is that only a very small piece of the budget finds its way into healthcare. We have to give the healthcare its due importance. The percentage of budget allocated to the healthcare is even less than some South Asian countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh. That speaks volumes of the importance given to public healthcare in our country.

Most of the healthcare services are concentrated in the urban areas while the rural areas are ignored. Why?

When it comes to healthcare, very little planning is done. The hospitals are set up without any geographical planning, which means how far two hospitals should be located from each other in an area. For 60 per cent population living in villages, there are only 10 per cent of total hospitals while most of the hospitals (public and private) are concentrated in the cities. Since most of the private hospitals are located in the urban areas only, there is a skewed spread of hospitals geographically. Around 10 per cent of the rural hospitals are government hospitals, which are in pitiable condition.

What are the weaknesses of public healthcare system?

We have already introduced user charges and now even the poor patients (and it is mostly the poor who avail themseleves of the services at government hospitals) pay for their treatments. On the other hand, there is less clinical work being done in the hospitals since we have not kept pace with the technology. What can you expect a doctor to do when there is not even a laparoscope or MRI in the hospital?

And the solution?