Helthcare System of India

Healthcare System of India

HSM310

Course Project

Pamela Dabe

DeVry University

Healthcare System of India

There is a large gap in the healthcare system between urban and rural areas. The urban areas have better access to healthcare and health insurance than do the rural population and 68%of the population resides in the rural areas This means that only a quarter of the Indian population has access to quality healthcare. Those who have access are not necessarily able to afford it. The poor government services expect the private sector to fill the gap. This leads to provision of services at a higher cost, which creates an even wider gap between the rich and the poor. There is really no partnership between the public and private sectors and this is something that needs to change if India is to become part of the universal healthcare that so much of the world is already a part of (HealthIssuesIndia, 2012-2013).

The population size of India is over 1.21 billion and second only to China. The fertility rate in 1950 was 6 children per women and has declined to 2.8 but this has not been enough of a decrease to stop the population growth. It is expected that by the year 2030, India will surpass China in population and could eventually top at over 2 billion (Rosenberg, 2011). India spends about 4% of its GDP on health of which the government only spends 1.4%. It is hoped that this will increase to 2.5% by the end of the 12the five-year-plan (HealthIssuesIndia, 2012-2013).

Although the mortality rate of children under five has declined significantly over the last 30 years, the mortality rate in India is still close to 2 million children, under the age of five, each year (Sharma, 2008). Poor neonatal care, insufficient breastfeeding, malnutrition, low immunity, and high incidences of communicable diseases are some of the reasons for this high mortality rate. Over the years plans have been developed to help immunize children as well as pregnant women. The latest were...