Healthcare status is pathetic

The Times of India, Indian daily dated October 18, 2007 brought out a story “India leads in childbirth deaths”, which is shocking to read. It is reported that death rate of women in India is followed only by Nigeria and Congo! India accounted for one-fifth of the women died world over annually during childbirth. The maternal mortality ratio is 450 deaths per 100, 000 live births. 1.17 lakh women died during childbirth in the year 2005. The states: Rajastan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, UP and Bihar record high maternal deaths.

India is one of the countries which pledged along with other WHO Member Nations, “Health for All by the Year 2000” at Alma-Ata in 1978; and in the same year it has also signed the International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights – Article 12, in which the country is obliged to achieve the highest attainable standard of health.

Ministry for Health at the Central and State government levels are well aware of these facts. Health care policy I the country seems to be limited to family planning, immunization, selected disease surveillance and medical education and bio-medical research. It is reported that the healthcare expenditure is over 5% of the GDP (2002 data). But, due to the population, the per capita expenditure is very low. For a population of over a billion, there are just 15,500 hospitals (both public and private) in the country.

Over the years, the life expectancy has increased to about 65 y. With India emerging as a super economic power, demand for quality healthcare will increase and the type of healthcare requirement is already changing due to the rise of life-style related diseases such as diabetic, hypertension and cardiac related diseases.

The government as per its promise to the world body like WHO should come out openly with a political agenda and ensure availability of proper healthcare as the right of the Indian citizen.