Non-resident Indian physicians form a large pool of talent and innovation that can help India meet its healthcare challenges, according to an Indian-American physician.
Speaking on a panel addressing India’s growing challenges on the closing day of the first Uttar Pradesh Pravasi Diwas Jan. 4 and 5, in Agra, Dr. Sudhir Parikh, publisher of News India Times, and recipient of India’s Padma Shri award, noted the many challenges India faces in delivering healthcare to its population.
“All countries have access-of- care issues in healthcare but India has one of the biggest disparities between its rural vs. urban populations,” keeping in mind that 70 percent of people live outside cities, said Dr. Parikh. Generally there are better clinics, hospitals, and doctors both public and private in urban settings in India, he noted.
Often the rural areas are reliant on government programs alone which are not equal in quality or efficacy especially with preventative care. He identified other challenges facing the system including delivering preventative and primary healthcare; raising government spending from the current 4 percent of GDP compared to the 18 percent spent in the U.S.; instituting payment reform including providing health insurance through both private and public channels.
“Currently much of the burden falls on the patients where out of pocket costs are close to 75 per cent,” Parikh pointed out. Very few Indians are covered by private insurance or government plans. While there are some government programs there is no comprehensive insurance plan similar to Medicare or Medicaid in the United States, he added.
Without a comprehensive insurance model patient care is affected significantly because now patients will only come once a situation is severe or acute and will not come as frequently for follow up or preventative care if the cost burden is on them, Parikh said. He also noted that looming in the near future is the challenge of meeting the growing needs of an aging middle class.
Non-resident Indians, especially those in the U.S., have played a big part in innovations in healthcare in numerous specialties in their adopted countries, and they could be a great asset to India, Parikh said. “It is time we bring that same mind-power and innovation back to our mother India and our homeland,” Parikh added.
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