UPSC-Relevant News Items

1. India Needs Universal Healthcare Focused on Primary Care, Not Just Health Insurance

Page: 6

Summary:

• The article argues that Universal Health Coverage (UHC) must encompass comprehensive primary care (preventive, curative, palliative) and not be limited only to hospitalization insurance.
• India’s underfinancing of public primary healthcare forces reliance on the private sector, resulting in high out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) and household indebtedness.
• Successful UHC models in East Asia demonstrate that effective implementation requires substantial public investment to strengthen both primary and secondary care systems.
• Insurance-centric schemes like AB-PMJAY fail to address the underlying reasons for illness and primary healthcare deficiencies.
• Successful UHC requires significant investment in infrastructure, supply chain mechanisms, and the health workforce (nurses, mid-level providers).

Additional Facts:

• Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) serve as the institutional mechanism for implementing Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), focusing on preventive and palliative services.
• The National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 provides the framework for UHC, mandating increased public health expenditure toward 2.5% of GDP to strengthen public sector delivery and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.
• Currently, India’s public health expenditure is around 1.3% of GDP.
• Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) accounts for approximately 47% of India’s Total Health Expenditure (THE).

Linkage with UPSC course:

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