Evolution of Healthcare Services in India: An Inspiring Success Story

-- Manaal Mujtaba Momin, Grade 7, New Gulf Indian School

Thursday, January 21, 2021

India has made significant progress in all spheres after independence. From being an under-developed starving nation we have emerged to become an exemplary nation with our resilient spirit and determination.

We all know that Republic Day is a celebration and tribute to our great constitution. The Indian Constitution acknowledges the significance of healthcare services as a key welfare responsibility of the state and prioritizes healthcare. The Indian Constitution has assigned public healthcare as the responsibility of the state governments. It makes every state responsible for “raising the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the development of public health as among its main duties”.

A remarkable aspect of our progress is reflected in our healthcare domain expertise. No wonder, India has emerged as a leading medical tourism destination of the world.

As a nation, India has adopted as well as contributed to healthcare research progress quite significantly. Our health care system has leveraged the scientific developments of the West and adapted the same to the Social and Economic fabric of our nation to suit our unique needs.

India has a Universal Health care model that is mostly managed at the state level rather than the central level. The public system is basically free for all Indian residents except for minor, often symbolic co–payments for some services and medical procedures.

The National Health Policy was endorsed by the Parliament of India in 1983 and was recently updated in 2017. The most recent updates in 2017 have attempted to rationalize healthcare services delivery and to make the same in sync with contemporary times.

Subsequent governments have realized the significance of private sector contribution in the health care domain.
Various Public health programs such National Health Mission, Ayushmaan Bharat. National Mental Health Program, are being aggressively improved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In addition to these, there are several other supportive mechanisms such as Primary Health Centers, Community Health Centers, Sub Centers, and Government Hospitals.

With continued focus on healthcare services reforms, India, we can optimistically hope to see India among the leading healthcare services destinations of the world.