Dr Manu Prasad Patel
The goal of health department of any government is not restricted to treat patients or to make him disease free. It needs to address the total health care in which the process of delivery system is the most critical part. There is a definite improvement in creating the delivery system. In a country like Bharat with rampant poverty and large chunk of population staying in the rural parts of the country, providing universal health coverage to all in the vicinity is a big challenge. The priority should be to provide need based health care facilities at affordable costs to all. On certain areas government will have to give special attention. Maternal mortality and morbidity, which is at 44 deaths per 1,000 live births, is one such area. Ratio of male children to female children of 0-6 years of children was deteriorating. It was matter of worry and social concern also. As per a study the failure of successive governments to evolve comprehensive, effective, and practicable healthcare policies — particularly during the last about ten years saw a gradual withdrawal of the state from health-related commitments. Union health ministry and central government is very serious about the problems related to health and health care delivery system. The government has decided to open good numbers of institution like AIIMS in different states. These institutions will work as tertiary care centres to deal with high risk and emergency cases with normal routine cases also and will cater to the needs of the large numbers of patients in the vicinity.
(The writer is chairman of National Medicos Organisation)
