INDIAN HEALTH SYSTEM- AN OVERVIEW
INDIAN HEALTH SYSTEM-
AN OVERVIEW
I. Medicine in Antiquity
Health and illness were interpreted in a cosmological and
anthropological perspective.
Medicine was dominated by magical and religious beliefs which
were an integral part of ancient cultures and civilizations.
Since there is an organic relationship between medicine and
human advancement, any account of medicine at a given period
should be viewed against the civilization human advancement at
that time.
A. Primitive Medicine
Salient Features:
Medicine was conceived in sympathy and born out of necessity
Since man‘s knowledge was limited, the primitive man attributed
disease, all human sufferings and calamities to wrath of gods, invasion of
body by evil spirits and malevolent influence of stars and planets
The concept of disease is known as ―supernatural theory of disease‖
They used to perform surgeries like circumcision, amputations and
trephining of skulls with improvised stone and flint instruments
In 5000 BC, the medicine was intermingled with
superstition, religion, magic and witchcraft.
B. Indian Medicine
Siddha and Ayurveda medical systems are truly Indian in origin.
Ayurveda is practiced in all parts of India, but Siddha is practiced only in
Tamil Nadu
Ayurveda by definition implies the ―knowledge of life‖ or the
knowledge by which life may be prolonged. Its origin is traced back to
the Vedic times, about 5000 B C.
Hygiene was given an important place in ancient Indian Medicine.
Medical Historians admit that Indian medicine has played in Asia the
same role as the Greek Medicine in West for it has spread in
Indochina, Indonesia, Tibet, Central Asia, and Japan, exactly as the
Greek Medicine has done in Europe and Arab Countries.
The other systems of medicine that are not of Indian origin are Unani-
Tibb and Homeopathy.
All these systems of medicine are very much alive today in India
and have become part of Indian culture. They also continue to an
important source of medical relief to the rural population.
C. Medicine practiced in other countries
Chinese Medicine – world‘s first organized body of medical knowledge
dating back to 2700 B .C
Egyptian Medicine – one of the oldest civilizations in about 2000 B. C
where art of medicine was mingled with religion.
Mesopotamian Medicine – ―Cradle of Civilization‖ 6000 years ago.
Greek Medicine – 460 – 136 B. C; the Greeks enjoyed the reputation –
the civilizers of the ancient world, taught people to think in terms of
why and how
Roman Medicine – First Century B.C; While the politics of the world
became Roman, medicine remained Greek.
Middle Ages – Period between 500 and 1500 A.D – establishment of
hospitals, religious institutions, schools of medicine etc.
II. Dawn of Scientific Medicine
The period following 1500 A.D was marked by political, industrial,
religious and medical revolutions.
Revival of Medicine – 1453 – 1600 A D – an age of individual scientific
endeavor; Paracelsus helped turn medicine towards rational research;
Fracastorius, an Italian physician enunciated the ―theory of contagion‖;
Ambriose Pare advanced the art of surgery.
17th and 18th Centuries – Harvey‘s discovery of the circulation of blood,
Leeuwenhoek‘s microscope, Jenner‘s vaccination against small pox etc
Sanitary Awakening in England in mid nineteenth century
Rise of Public Health in England around 1840.
Germ Theory of Disease – Louis Pasteur in 1860 demonstrated the
presence of bacteria in air. In 1877, Robert Koch showed that Anthrax is
caused by bacteria. Gonoccus was discovered in 1847, typhoid bacillus in
in 1880, cholera vibrio in 1883
III. Modern Medicine
The dichotomy of Medicine divided into preventive and curative
medicine was quite evident in 19th Century.
After 1900, medicine moved towards specialization. Multi-factorial
causation of disease was put forward by Pettenkoefer.
Development of anti-viral vaccines like for Polio, Small Pox
Discovery of synthetic insecticides such as DDT, HCH, malathion etc
Discovery of drugs, chemoprophylaxis
Concept of disease eradication
Development of screening for the diagnosis of disease in its pre-
symptomatic stage in 20th century
Development of Family, Social and Community Medicine
Healthcare revolution in terms of
• Health for all by 2000
• Concept of Primary Healthcare
• Millennium Development Goals in 2000
• National Health Policy 2003
5,000 year old ancient civilization
325 languages spoken – 1,652 dialects
18 official languages
29 states, 5 union territories
3.28 million sq. kilometers - Area
7,516 kilometers - Coastline
1.1 Billion population.
5600 dailies, 15000 weeklies and 20000 periodicals in
21 languages with a combined circulation of 142
million.
GDP $576 Billion. (GDP rate 8%)
Parliamentary form of Government
World’s largest democracy.
World’s 4th largest economy.
World-class recognition in IT, bio-technology and
space.
Largest English speaking nation in the world.
3rd largest standing army force, over 1.5Million
strong.
2nd largest pool of scientists and engineers in the
World.
5,000 year old ancient civilization
325 languages spoken – 1,652 dialects
18 official languages
29 states, 5 union territories
3.28 million sq. kilometers - Area
7,516 kilometers - Coastline
1.1 Billion population.
5600 dailies, 15000 weeklies and 20000 periodicals
in 21 languages with a combined circulation of 142
million.
GDP $576 Billion. (GDP rate 8%)
Parliamentary form of Government
World‘s largest democracy.
World‘s 4th largest economy.
World-class recognition in IT, bio-technology and
space.
Largest English speaking nation in the world.
3rd largest standing army force, over 1.5Million
strong.
2nd largest pool of scientists and engineers in the
World.
Health sector in India is the responsibility of the state, local
and also the central government.
But in terms of service delivery it is more concerned with the
state.
The center is responsible for health services in union
territories without a legislature and is also responsible for
developing and monitoring national standards and
regulations, linking the states with funding agencies, and
sponsoring numerous schemes for implementation by state
governments.
Both the center and the state have a joint responsibility for
programs listed under the concurrent list.
MILESTONES IN INDEPENDENT INDIA
PRIMARY HEALTH CENTERS 1952
FAMILY PLANNING 1952
GREEN REVOLUTION 1967 - 1977
NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMS – From 1957
NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY – 1982 & 2002
NRHM 2005
PHFI -2008
Healthcare has emerged as
one of the largest service
sectors in India. Rather
dynamic, it is constantly
developing building further
on the areas it is most
competent at.
Further there are many
factors that differentiate
it from its foreign
counterparts along with
making it thriving in itself
Particulars 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Life expectancy 64.3 64.7 65.1 65.4 65.8
Healthcare spendingUS$ bn
40.4 45.7 52.1 56 60.9
Healthcare spending (%
of GDP)
5.3 5.3 5.4 5.4 5.5
Healthcare spendingUS$ per head
37 41 46 49 53
In 2004, national healthcare
spending equaled about 5.2
per cent of nominal GDP, or
about US$ 34.9 billion.
Healthcare spending in India
is expected to rise by 12 per
cent per annum through
2005-09 (in rupee terms) and
scale up to about 5.5 per
cent of GDP, or US$ 60.9
billion, by 2009
Total expenditure on health 5.2% of GDP
Public health investment 0.9% of GDP
Budget allocation for health 1.3% of central budget
Govt expenditure 25%
Out of pocket expenditure 75%
(www.searo.who.int/EN/Section313/Section1519_10852.htm )
Central contribution to state 15%
State budgetary allocations reduced from 7% to 5.5%
India's health budget has gone up by nearly Rs.4000 crore to Rs.21113.33 crore ($4.35 billion)
(www.thaindian.com/newsportal/.../public-health-infrastructure )
India’s medical infrastructure at a glance
◦ 5,097 hospitals
◦ 8,70,161 hospital beds
◦ 5,03,900 doctors
◦ 7,37,000 nurses
◦ 162 medical colleges
Per Lakh
Population
Beds Hospitals Dispensaries
Urban 178.78 3.6 3.6
Rural 9.85 0.36 1.39
Source: Review of Health Care in India, 2005
S No Indicator Numbers
1 Total Population (2007) 1169 million
2 Crude Birth Rate (2007) 23
3 Crude Death Rate (2006) 7.5
4 Annual Growth Rate % (2007) 1.8
5 Population Doubling time (at current growth rate) 30 years
6 Population rural % (2007) 71
7 Adult Literacy Rate% (2007) 66
8 Density of Population per sq. km (2001) 325
9 Sex Ratio female per 1000 male (2004 -2006) 892
10 Population below 15 years % (2006) 33.1
11 Population above 60 years % (2006) 7.3
12 Average Family Size (2007) 2.8
13 Age at marriage, female (2003) 20.1 years
14 Annual per capita GNP Rs. 33,131
India Demographic Profile
Monitorable, time bound goals for the
Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007 – 2012)
Reducing Maternal Mortality Ration (MMR) to 1 per 1000 live births
Reducing Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 28 per 1000 live births
Reducing total fertility rate (TFR) to 2.1
Providing clean drinking water for All by 20009 and ensuring no slip
backs
Reducing malnutrition among children of age group 0-3 to half its
present level
Reducing anemia among women and girls by 50%
Raising the sex ratio for age group 0-6 to 935 by 2011-2012 and 8950
by 2016 - 17
Healthcare Delivery in India
1. PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR
a) Primary Health Care
– Primary Health Centres
– Sub-centres
b) Hospitals / Health centres
– Community Health Centres
– Rural Hospital
– District Hospitals/health centres
– Specialist Hospitals
– Teaching Hospitals
c) Health Insurance Schemes
– Employee State Insurance Scheme
– Central Govt. Health Scheme
d) Other Agencies
– Defence
– Railways
2. PRIVATE SECTOR
a) Private Hospitals, polyclinics, nursing homes, and
dispensaries
b) General Practitioners and clinics
3. INDIGENOUS SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE
a) Ayurveda and Siddha
b) Unani
c) Homeopath
d) Un-registered practitioners
4. VOLUNTARY HEALTH AGENCIES
5. NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMMES
Healthcare Delivery in India Contd…..
Public and Private sectors The majority of healthcare
services in India are provided by
the private sector.
At present, India‘s healthcare
burden has gone beyond the
Government‘s budgetary
applications.
The increased spending power
middle class is driving growth
opportunities for corporate
healthcare providers. Factors
like privatization of medical
insurance are making the market
more attractive for international
and national corporate players.
The Government has taken an
initiative to institutionalize a
mechanism of public-private
partnerships (PPP) in
healthcare, right up from the
district level.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Public Health Infrastructure
1950-2000 rural health facilities up from 725 to 163,000
Yet shortfall by 16% in PHCs and 58% in CHCs
PHI not satisfying as service delivery hampered by policy andmanagement concerns
Non availability of staff
Weak referral system
Recurring funding shortfalls
Lack of accountability for quality of care
Problems
Very low use of massive PH infrastructure
Poor availability and access
Unsatisfactory work of the PHI
So poor seeking private health care
Only 20% of OPD and 45% of inpatient care obtained from govt healthinfrastructure while the rest is from the private sector
((www.searo.who.int/EN/Section313/Section1519_10852.htm )
GOI has resolved to launch the National Rural Health Mission
(NRHM) to carry out necessary architectural correction in
the basic health care delivery system in 2005.
The Mission adopts a synergistic approach by relating health
to determinants of good health viz. segments of
nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and safe drinking water.
It also aims at mainstreaming the Indian systems of
medicine to facilitate health care.
Encouraging Trends in Public Health
NRHM
NRHM PLAN OF ACTION
increasing public expenditure on health, reducing regional
imbalance in health infrastructure
pooling resources
integration of organizational structures, optimization of health
manpower
decentralization and district management of health programmes
Community participation and ownership of assets
Induction of management and financial personnel into district
health system
Operationalizing community health centers into functional hospitals
Meeting Indian public health standards in each block of the country
Source: http://www.mohfw.nic.in/NRHM.htm
PUBLIC Health foundation of india
The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is a response to
redress the limited institutional capacity in India for
strengthening training, research and policy development in the
area of Public Health.
It is a public private partnership that was collaboratively evolved
through consultations with multiple constituencies
*Source: www.phfi.org
PHFI - Structure and objectives
Structured as an independent foundation, PHFI adopts a
broad, integrative approach to public health, tailoring its
endeavors to Indian conditions and bearing relevance to
countries facing similar challenges and concerns.
The PHFI focuses on broad dimensions of public health that
encompass promotive, preventive and therapeutic
services, many of which are frequently lost sight of in policy
planning as well as in popular understanding.
*Source: www.phfi.org
Private Healthcare
More preference
Inpatient care more in govt sector since low cost rather thanquality
Emphasis on secondary and tertiary care
Not mandatory to register so no clear picture
Unregulated, with serious complaints of poor quality, overcharging, and unethical behavior.
Accounts for
• 1. 67% of total 30,000 hospitals
• 2. 33% of 1,000,000 beds
• 3. 60% of 5 million doctors
Large Demand Supply Gap
100 beds per 100,000 population (WHO norms 300 beds)
No of doctors per 1000 low as per WHO norms
Investment range to bridge gap in next 10 yrs from 100,000 to
140,000 crores
Can create huge income and employment growth in next 10 years
Govt should encourage private, social and community insurance
Existing financing and payment system not suitable for countering
market failures
Affordability
Low use of PHI so high out of pocket expenses
Health insurance
Regional licensing of HI business and HI schemes as Yeshaswini etc
Cost benefit analysis of ESI
Cost of care can be contained
Improvement in public sector service levels
Referral systems enforcement
Controlling infectious diseases
Ensure availability of proper and adequate health services for
any insurance scheme to succeed
In 2003, fee-charging private companies accounted for 82%
of India‘s $30.5 billion expenditure on healthcare.
Private firms are now thought to provide about 60% of all
outpatient care in India and as much as 40% of all in-patient
care.
It is estimated that nearly 70% of all hospitals and 40% of
hospital beds in the country are in the private sector.
Achievements during the plan periods
S No Parameter 1st Plan (1951 - 56) 10th Plan (2002 - 2007)
1 Primary Health Centre 725 22,370.00
2 Sub centres NA 145,272.00
3 Commmunity Health Centres 0 4,045.00
4 Total Beds (2002) 125000 914,543.00
5 Medical Colleges 42 270.00
6 Dental Colleges 7 205.00
7 Allopathic Doctors 65000 767,500.00
8 Nurses 18500 928,149.00
9 ANMs 12780 526,242.00
10 Health Visitors 578 50,393.00
11 Health Workers (F) 0 147,439.00
12 Health Workers (M) 0 62,881.00
13 Village Health Guides (2002) 0 323,000.00
14 Block Extension Educators 0 4,068.00
Indicator 1951 1981 2000
Demographic Changes
Life Expectancy 36.7 54 64.6(RGI)
Crude Birth Rate 40.8 33.9(SRS) 26.1(99 SRS)
Crude Death Rate 25 12.5(SRS) 8.7(99 SRS)
IMR 146 110 70 (99 SRS)
Achievements Through The Years - 1951-2000
Source: National Health Policy 2002
Epidemiological Shifts 1951 1981 2000
Malaria (cases in million) 75 2.7 2.2
Leprosy cases per 10,000 population 38.1 57.3 3.74
Small Pox (no of cases) >44,887 Eradicated
Guineaworm ( no. of cases) >39,792 Eradicated
Polio 29709 265
Infrastructure
SC/PHC/CHC 725 57,363 1,63,181
(99-RHS)
Dispensaries &Hospitals( all) 9209 23,555 43,322 (95–96-CBHI)
Beds (Pvt & Public) 117,198 569,495 8,70,161
(95-96-CBHI)
Doctors(Allopathy) 61,800 2,68,700 5,03,900
(98-99-MCI)
Nursing Personnel 18,054 1,43,887 7,37,000
(99-INC)
Achievements Through The Years - 1951-2000
Source: National Health Policy 2002
SectorPopulation
BPL (%)
IMR/
Per 1000
Live Births
(1999-SRS)
<5Mort-
ality
per 1000
(NFHS II)
Weight For
Age-
% of
Children
Under 3
years
(<-2SD)
MMR/
Lakh
(Annual
Report
2000)
Leprosy
cases per
10000
popula-
tion
Malaria +ve
Cases in
year 2000
(in
thousands)
India 26.1 70 94.9 47 408 3.7 2200
Rural 27.09 75 103.7 49.6 - - -
Urban 23.62 44 63.1 38.4 - - -
Better
Performing
States
Kerala 12.72 14 18.8 27 87 0.9 5.1
Maharashtra 25.02 48 58.1 50 135 3.1 138
TN 21.12 52 63.3 37 79 4.1 56
Low
Performing
States
Orissa 47.15 97 104.4 54 498 7.05 483
Bihar 42.60 63 105.1 54 707 11.83 132
Rajasthan 15.28 81 114.9 51 607 0.8 53
UP 31.15 84 122.5 52 707 4.3 99
MP 37.43 90 137.6 55 498 3.83 528
Differentials in Health Status Among States
Sourc
e:
Nati
onal
Healt
h P
oli
cy 2
002
National Health policy – 2002
Goals to be achieved by 2015 Eradicate polio and Yaws 2005
Eliminate Leprosy 2005
Eliminate Kala azar 2010
Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis 2015
Achieve zero level growth of HIV/AIDS 2007
Reduce mortality by 50% on account of TB, Malaria and 2010
other vector and water borne diseases
Reduce prevalence of blindness to 0.5% 2010
Reduce IMR to 30/100 and MMR to 100/Lakh 2010
Increase utilization of public health facilities from 2010
current level of <20% to >75%
Establish an integrated system of surveillance, National 2005
Health Accounts and Health Statistics
Increase Health expenditure by Government as a %of GDP 2010
from the existing 0.9 to 2.0%
Increase share of the central grants to constitute at least 2010
25% of total health sharing
Increase state sector health spending from 5.5% to 7% of budget 2005
Further Increase to 8% of the budget 2010
Source: National Health Policy 2002
Indicator Infant
Mortality/1000
Under 5
Mortality/1000
% Children
Underweight
India 70 94.9 47
Social Inequity
Scheduled Castes 83 119.3 53.5
Scheduled Tribes 84.2 126.6 55.9
Other Disadvantaged 76 103.1 47.3
Others 61.8 82.6 41.1
Differentials in Health status Among Socio-Economic
Groups
Source: National Health Policy 2002
Tenth Plan
(2002-2007)National Population
Policy 2000 (2010)
1 Crude Birth Rate 23.0 (2007) 21
2 Total Fertility Rate 2.8 (2007) 2.3 2.1
3 Couple Protection Rate 56 (2000-07) 65 Meet all needs
4 IMR 57 (2007) 45 <30
5 Neonatal Mortality 37 (2006) 35
6 Maternal Mortality 301 (2003) 2 1
7 Under 5- Mortality 72 (2007)
IndicatorS No Current level
Goals and Target Period
Indicators
Indicator
%Population with
income of <$1
day
Infant Mortality
Rate/1000
%Health
Expenditure to
GDP
%Public
Expenditure on
Health to Total
Health
Expenditure
India 44.2 70 5.2 17.3
China 18.5 31 2.7 24.9
Sri Lanka 6.6 16 3 45.4
UK - 6 5.8 96.9
USA - 7 13.7 44.1
Public Health Spending in select Countries
India Current Scenario: Health
Resurgence of Communicable Diseases
Declining Public Investments and Expenditures in Health and Healthcare
Breakdown of the Public Health System
Access to Basic Healthcare Declining
Absence of Regulation and Control, and Quality Standards in Private Healthcare
Corporatisation and Rising Costs of Healthcare and Changed Character of the Economy
Growing incomes and literacy bode well for the
Indian healthcare services market
Much of India‘s healthcare expenditure comes from private
patients‘ pockets, primarily the higher-income households.
A survey by NCAER, an independent economics research
agency, suggests that per-capita expenditures on healthcare
rise with higher education levels. Households that have
higher education levels tend to spend more per illness than
households with lower education levels.
Rising literacy in India is improving health awareness
India’s low cost of medical care, a strong value
proposition
India offers highly cost-competitive medical treatment and
technological advances in many areas.
With diagnostic tests in India being inexpensive, India also
has the potential to emerge as a hub for preventive health
screening.
Not only are skilled Indian surgeons available for less, they
are also less susceptible to costly litigation. This brings
down the overall cost of treatment.
India’s value proposition goes far beyond cost;
quality second to none
Apart from being in step with changing healthcare delivery
technology, leading Indian medical care facilities are
increasingly complying with stringent quality standards and
queuing up for international accreditations( such as from
the Chicago-based Joint Commission of Accreditation of
Hospital Organizations (JCAHO) )
With an increasing number of Indian hospitals offering
services at the cutting edge, there is a growing acceptance
of India-based medical care among global insurers.
The medical devices market in India is highly promising. The
market size for medical devices in India is expected to touch
US$ 1.7 billion by 2010, against US$ 1.2 billion presently.
Presently, nearly 90 per cent of the demand is being met by
imports since domestic production comprises primarily of
low-tech devices.
Pathology Services:
The US$ 500 million domestic pathology industry has been
growing over the last five years at an estimated
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20 per cent per
annum. It currently comprises almost 2.5 per cent of the
overall healthcare delivery market. The major players are
Dr. Lal‘s Pathlabs, Metropolis, SRL Ranbaxy, Thyrocare,
and Nicholas Piramal.
Medical Tourism
An important contributor to the GDP from the Indian Healthcare
Sector is the Medical Tourism subdivision. Approximately 1,80,000
patients arrived in 2004 from across the globe for medical
treatment. India is seeing a surge of patients from developed
countries as well as from countries in Africa and South and West
Asia that lack adequate healthcare infrastructure.
Apart from state of the art facilities, India provides low-cost
treatments which is what makes it so attractive to foreign
customers.
According to a joint study by the Confederation of Indian Industry
and McKinsey, Indian medical tourism was estimated at $350
million in 2006 and has the potential to grow into a $2 billion
industry by 2012.4.
To encourage the growth of medical tourism, the government also
is providing a variety of incentives, including lower import duties
and higher depreciation rates on medical equipment, as well as
expedited visas for overseas patients seeking medical care in India.
In addition to receiving traditional medical treatments, a growing
number of western tourists are traveling to India to pursue alternate
medicines such as ayurveda, which has blossomed in the state of
Kerala, in southwestern India. The number of medical tourists visiting
Kerala was close to 15,000 in 2006 and is expected to reach 100,000 by
2010.
India has the potential to attract one million medical tourists each
year, which could contribute $5 billion to the economy, according to the
Confederation of Indian Industries
Health insurance:
India offers tremendous opportunity for private medical
insurance players. Increasing awareness levels and large-
scale group insurance policies have pushed growth in the
health insurance segment in recent years.
Due to liberalization and a growing middle class with
increased spending power, there has been an increase in the
number of insurance policies 2001-02, 7.5 million policies
were sold. By 2003-4, the number of policies issued had
increased by 37%, to 10.3 million policies issued in the
country.
In the wake of liberalization, health insurance is projected
to grow to $5.75 billion by 2010, according to a study by the
New Delhi-based PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry
In order to spur the private health insurance sector, the
Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDA) has
increased the FDI limit from 26 per cent to 51 per cent.
Health insurance premium touched US$ 533.3 million by the
end of 2005-06
Healthcare BPO:
India is capable of offering a wide spectrum of outsourced
Healthcare services. Outsourcing of pathology and laboratory tests
by foreign hospital chains is becoming is a huge opportunity
because of the high cost differential in India.
Types of services:
• Data capture
• Documentation
• Commercial
• Administration
• Human resources
• Customer care
Telemedicine:
Only 25% of India‘s specialist physicians reside in semi-urban
areas, and a mere 3 % live in rural areas. As a result, rural
areas, with a population approaching 700 million, continue
to be deprived of proper healthcare facilities
One solution is telemedicine—the remote diagnosis, monitoring
and treatment of patients via videoconferencing or the Internet.
Telemedicine is a fast-emerging trend in India, supported by
exponential growth in the country‘s information and
communications technology (ICT) sector, and plummeting
telecom costs.
Several major private hospitals have adopted telemedicine
services, and a number of hospitals have developed public-
private partnerships (PPPs), among them Apollo, AIIMS, Narayana
Hrudayalaya, Aravind Hospitals and Sankara Nethralaya.
Growth incentives…
Policy initiatives
National Accreditation Board of Hospitals and Healthcare
Providers (NABH)- committee to make provisions for
access, assessment, care of patients and protect patient‘s
rights.
Clinical Establishment Act, 2006: Low cost and Good
quality healthcare.
Policy decision on easy provision of ‗medical visas‘.
National Rural Health Mission
Increased foreign investments in various Healthcare
segments such as Insurance.
Development of competent technology.
Well trained personnel.
Conclusion:
The Indian healthcare sector can be viewed as a glass half
empty or a glass half full. The challenges the sector faces are
substantial, from the need to improve physical infrastructure
to the necessity of providing health insurance and ensuring
the availability of trained medical personnel. But the
opportunities are equally compelling, from developing new
infrastructure and providing medical equipment to delivering
telemedicine solutions and conducting cost-effective clinical
trials. For companies that view the Indian healthcare sector
as a glass half full, the potential is enormous.
The Indian health care sector is predicted to touch $14.2
billion by 2012 due to rising income levels, high
populations, and change in the illness pattern in the country
The value of domestic health care will rise up to four times by
2017.
Private and public spending in Indian health sector would touch
$14.2 billion in 2013, at an annual growth rate of 5.8 percent
from 2009