Travel log:
All over town, Muslims celebrated during the Oru [sp] Festival held this week. On the night of Dec. 9 a procession went by Bandra Station complete with sparkling tinseled floats, cows decked out in their finest party streamers and what party would be complete without kids blowing 150 proof fireballs?
But wait! This is a Muslim festival, could it really be alcohol? Why, naturally it's kerosene.
Thursday and Friday another sort of (non-fire breathing) get together was scheduled at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai.
A collection of the nation's healthcare leaders met to discuss how to manage the growth of the nation's mushrooming healthcare system. The money is available for improvements, but what are the most efficient ways to grow and how should the poor be included?
It's a monster of a problem. Still, the healthcare debate in the United States, by comparison is in the late rounds. The vast majority of people get healthcare one way or another, even if it's through Medicaid. The questions being tackled in India gave the feeling that there is enough left to do so that basic and early successes are within reach.
The medical community is only beginning to organize its thoughts and is hoping for a government buy-in.
The government has recently offered a lot of subsidy and assistance to what it considers infrasturcture industries, said Dr. Gustad Daver, director of professional services at Hinduja Hospital.
Improving roadways, airports and energy facilities is big business, he said, but "healthcare should get infrastructure status."
Many of the speakers at the conference agreed that the government can do more, but it is held back by a lack of unified leadership in healthcare. There is no single agency that could easily assume responsibility for healthcare and one needs to be appointed or created, speakers said.
Once the government takes on the problem in earnest a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) may be the next step. The government would provide land for medical facilities run by private investors with public oversight.
Doctors would also like to see the government help to create a system of digital record keeping, but government agencies have balked. Digitizing records would cut numerous redundancies in administration as well as ensure that doctors have the most current information about their patients. Better information would also allow for a huge increase in the data available to researchers who are constantly looking for eligible test subjects.
Government officials at the state and national levels insist that the problem of organizing records is too large a task to manage.
Perhaps the most glaring problem is bringing healthcare services to the far reaches of the countryside.
Nearly 72% of the population lives in the countryside, but 80% of the doctors, 75% of the dispensaries and 60% of the hospitals are in cities, said Charu Sehgal, senior director of Deloitte & Touche Tohmatsu India.
The problem is the lack of investment. In the cities the wealthy, better paying patients can (and do) help subsidize treatment for the poor; in the country "the margins are lost," she said.
Despite the enormity of the problems, nearly every presenter spoke with notes of optimism that change is coming. The simple fact that ideas and opportunities are beginning to be discussed is a large step forward.
For anyone who accidentally swallows a mouth full of kerosene... doctors recommend no spicy foods for a few days.
This is news-a-tainment, and I believe this could be your calling to journalism. I admit to falling a sleep in the middle of your article, but what a great close, "no spicy foods for a few days."
ReplyDeleteI had trouble following the "why" at points, but this was surprisingly interesting to read.
I will keep saying this until you get it, FIX YOUR PARAGRAPH FORMATTING. Guild my eye across your well thought out prose.
If I sound like an A-hole on this point...remember you're not doing it for me as much as your are doing it to be a good ambassador for the public communications school you call your alma mater.