Healthcare experts who call for radical reforms in the healthcare sector welcomes BJP's Manifesto. stressing that the country is in dire need for a healthcare reform focused on addressing the healthcare needs of the country. Many feel that India needs a comprehensive healthcare policy to address the complex healthcare challenges, keeping in view the developments in the healthcare sector and the changing demographics.
In the BJP manifesto released recently, the party has promised to initiate a new health policy touted as the ‘National Health Assurance Mission’, with a clear mandate to provide universal healthcare that is not only accessible and affordable, but also effective, and reduces the out of pocket spending for the common man. The manifesto also stressed on reviewing the role of various professional regulatory bodies in healthcare system, with plans to set up an overarching lean body with high priority to address the shortfall of healthcare professionals.
A highly placed source from the industry states that the health care focus is what makes the BJPs manifesto more attractive, as there is an inane need to address those needs urgently. “Whether the party will be able to deliver the same remains to be seen, however, we really do appreciate their effort in putting up a healthcare focussed approach, which unfortunately have been ignored by other parties till now.”
Among the other promises, the manifesto also envisions to modernise government hospitals, upgrade infrastructure and adopt latest technologies for better delivery of services, while increasing the number of medical and para-medical colleges to make India self sufficient in human resources, and set up an AIIMS like institute in every state. It also stressed on the need to re-organise Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to converge various departments dealing in healthcare, food and nutrition and pharmaceuticals, for effective delivery of healthcare services.
Interestingly, the detailed manifesto also stresses on the need to promote yoga and AYUSH, which they plan to do by increasing the public investment in the sector and by starting integrated courses for Indian System of Medicine (ISM), modern science and ayurgenomics.
“Being from the healthcare industry, I completely understand the lacunae and pitfalls that prevent the growth of this highly potential but ignored sector. We definitely have a keen idea on developing the healthcare system of this country which includes all the sectors in it. With this in mind we will set up institutions and launch a vigorous program to standardise and validate the ayurvedic medicine. Further, we will take all the steps to transform, Indian healthcare model into a pre-emptive care model where the focus and thrust will be on child health and prevention, with key focus on school health program, where health and hygiene will be made a part of the school curriculum,” informed Rajendra Pratap Gupta who was in-charge of preparing the BJP Election Manifesto along with committees chairman Murli Manohar Joshi.
He further stressed that India needs a holistic healthcare system that is universally accessible, and since NRHM has failed to meet these objectives, all measures will be taken to radically reform the same. Gupta who is also the president of the Disease Management Association of India (DMAI) said that they would take all measures to utilise the ubiquitous platform of mobile phones for healthcare delivery and set up the 'National eHealth Authority' to leverage telemedicine and mobile healthcare for expanding reach and coverage and to define the standards and legal framework for technology driven care among other plans.