With a view to ensure accessibility of primary healthcare services to the patients, Disease Management Association of India (DMAI) has urged the health ministry to focus on utilising the limited funds allocated to them in addressing the basic healthcare needs of the patients first rather than just keep on announcing new plans.

This demand comes in the wake of the string of announcements made by the government which is still stuck in the log jam due to the difficulty in getting funds to realise the healthcare plans. The association states that though the government has the vision it lacks the conviction to get through their plans successfully due to scarcity of funds.

According to Rajendra Pratap Gupta, president and board member, DMAI the biggest hindrance that stands in the way is that the government today lacks the foresight on how and where to utilise the limited funds allocated to them expanding the ever present lacunae in the healthcare delivery system of India further. He stressed, “The only plausible solution to address this issue is to include the stakeholders and the corporates in the game plan so that strategic and concrete steps can be taken towards realising this vision. The government should consider partnering with private sector so that they can effectively address the funding issue while ensuring the availability of primary healthcare services to the patients.”

Concerned over the lack of a well defined primary healthcare delivery system in the country, DMAI has urged the government re think its strategy while announcing new healthcare policies so that proper care can be taken to address the real issues while effectively using the funds. Gupta pointed out that under the current fiscal deficit the government does not have the luxury of spending much which actually restrains them from providing basic health care provisions to the citizens.

“Medical expenses are going up day by day with very few people having access to primary healthcare services. The only way to make things better is to flag off the projects that the government have announced through a public private partnership for effective healthcare system in the country. We seriously advocate that the government should not try to give solutions but should actively take initiative to define strong framework which will help in finding better and more effective solution for the same,” Gupta added.