ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Articles by Girija VaidyanathanSubscribe to Girija Vaidyanathan

Better to Reflect Than Shoot the Messenger

There was a significant reduction in the overall estimated footfall for outpatient and inpatient care at the all-India level between 2014 and 2017–18. However, the reduction in estimated footfalls was significantly higher in private facilities as compared to public facilities. Also, states with better health infrastructure observed a relatively lesser reduction in the overall footfall under public facilities than states with weaker health infrastructure. Across all economic deciles, there was no significant fall in the proportion of patients utilising public healthcare facilities in 2017–18 compared to 2014.

Invest More in Public Healthcare Facilities

Data from National Sample Surveys (71st round, 2014 and 75th round, 2017–18) show that there is a significant increase in the utilisation of public facilities for both outpatient and inpatient services, across empowered action group states and non-EAG states. As a result, there is a dramatic fall in the overall financial burden on patients who would have otherwise used services of private healthcare providers. In light of this evidence, this paper argues that it is prudent to invest more directly to strengthen public healthcare delivery system in India.

Measuring Progress towards Universal Health Coverage

This paper proposes an approach to periodically measure the extent of progress towards universal health coverage using a set of indicators that captures the essence of the factors to be considered in moving towards universalisation. It presents the rationale for the approach and demonstrates its use, based on a primary household survey carried out at the district level. Discussing the strengths and limitations of the approach, it points to how these measures could be further refined. The effort is to find a method of measurement that will apply to any of the alternative ways of progressing towards universal health coverage, however defined and implemented.

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