Editorial & Analyses

    Expensive Treatment Makes People Poor

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    Sunil Aswal
    May31/ 2023
    Last Updated:

    Medical

    Vijay Garg

    Medical expenses are becoming so heavy on the pocket that every year 7-8 percent of the population who get treatment by taking loans and selling their properties reach below the poverty line. Forty-three percent of the earnings are being spent on treatment. Most of such patients suffer from cancer, heart and mental diseases. Health services in the country are not only becoming expensive, but are also making the patients poor. The ever-increasing medical expenditure is pushing seven per cent of the population below the poverty line every year. Oxfam International'sA recent report states that if a one-time tax of 2 per cent is imposed on the entire wealth of India's billionaires, then the same amount can meet the need of Rs 40,423 crore for the nutrition of the malnourished in the country for three years. Similarly, imposing a one-time tax of five percent on the ten richest billionaires of the country can substantially compensate the budget of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of AYUSH for a year. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, National Health Insurance Scheme in our country, Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, State Health System Resource Center Scheme, Janani Suraksha Yojana, Social Health Activists (ASHA) Scheme, NRHM Flexi Pool, 108 Ambulance Service in States, Indradhanush Vaccination, Rural Health Sanitation, etc. National Rural Health Mission, National Urban Health Mission, Tertiary Care Program, Health Medical Education, National Health Mission (Reproductive) etc.India has the highest number of infant deaths in the world (an average of 1.1 million annually). One million newborns are at risk of severe HBV infection every year. On an average, twenty-nine newborns die out of one thousand born. According to the 'Save the Children' organization, twenty nine percent of the total deaths of newborns in the world occur in India alone. How unfortunate it is for the poor families that they are not able to afford the medical expenses of their children. focused on hospitalized childrenA study shows that thirteen out of every hundred families are facing financial difficulties in getting treatment. Most of such families are also deprived of access to front line workers like ASHA, Angan-wadi, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives. The question of access is also associated with the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The exorbitantly expensive drug-treatment has deprived twenty-three percent of the patients from medical treatment. Seventy percent people are getting treatment from their own pocket. Health services are already suffering due to lack of medical colleges, hospitals, trained doctors and nurses.They have reached extremes. Government spending in the health sector has remained stagnant at around 1.3 per cent of GDP like cumin in a camel's mouth for a decade. The condition of the national health policy is such that the annual expenditure of poor countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal in the matter of government health services is more than that of India. The population in the country has increased seven times, but the health facilities have not even doubled. Sixty percent of the total about seventy thousand hospitals in the country do not even have enough beds. proportionately perOnly one bed is available for sixty-five patients. Medical expenses are becoming so heavy on the pocket that every year 7-8 percent of the population who get treatment by taking loans and selling their properties reach below the poverty line. Forty-three percent of the earnings are being spent on treatment. Most of such patients suffer from cancer, heart and mental diseases. Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme has neither reached ten crore families at present, nor has the pre-announced 1.5 lakh 'Health and Wellness' centers been set up for primary treatment. a private hospitalDo not agree for treatment at the fixed government rates of Ayushman Yojana. Secondly, except the hilly states, other states shy away from bearing forty percent of the treatment cost under this scheme. The Bengal government has even merged the Ayushman Bharat scheme with the state's health scheme. The results are clear that the schemes have remained on paper. The existing health infrastructure has become grossly inadequate for the country's population of more than 1.25 billion. In the name of education and health, since 1990, we do not know how many campaigns, programmes, policies have been launched in the country.More investments have come to the fore, yet the situation in the health sector remains the same. Non-transparent use of human resources in the country is also a major reason for this failure. Like other sectors, the resources of the health sector have also remained confined in the hands of a handful of powers. Once upon a time, the doctor was called the God of the earth, but now this profession has covered the market by being equipped with new technologies. If governments and local administrative officials pay attention, the poor can get free treatment in private hospitals. This wayThere is a clear provision for providing ten percent reserved beds in private hospitals for patients. In 2007, the Delhi High Court ordered heavy fines on hospitals for not providing reserved beds to poor patients. Delhi government has also taken initiative in this direction about a decade ago. In 1946, a committee formed under the leadership of Joseph William Bhore to assess the conditions of health services and make medical arrangements in India based on it, a primary health center per forty thousand population.It was suggested to make Each PHC was suggested to have two doctors, one nurse, four public health nurses, four midwives, two sanitary inspectors, two health assistants, one pharmacist and fifteen other Class IV employees. The Government of India also accepted this proposal in 1952, but all the recommendations could not be implemented. In the 1970s, WHO set the goal of 'Health for All'. Primary health center, community health center, district hospital, medical college developed in the countryLarge health institutions have been built, but it is unfortunate that the primary health services have not been developed according to the needs. Today big institutes like AIIMS, PGI are facing the brunt of the same. According to the Medical Council of India, nine years ago there were about 9.40 lakh doctors across the country, while primary health centers required 1.5 lakh, sub-divisional hospitals 1.1 lakh, community health centers eighty thousand doctors. In the subsequent five years, four lakh more doctors were needed. then fire in this direction What happened? One doctor is available for every 1700 patients. Many posts of doctors and nurses are lying vacant in the public health sector. The pace of increase in the number of health workers in the country is very slow. Recruitment processes are badly stalled. Like other countries, we still do not have a national health insurance system for all citizens, whose benefits are being taken by private companies. There is a huge difference between public and private health care. The main objective of the National Health Guarantee Mission So every citizen has to be provided with free medicines, diagnostic treatment and insurance for critical illnesses, but the story behind this is also like elephant tusks. There is a huge gap in the healthcare infrastructure itself between urban and rural India.

    —The Hawk Features