Observing that the cost of private healthcare is prohibitively expensive for a majority of India’s population, medical experts have opined that optimal healthcare can be delivered in the country at 60% of the private cost. A host of renowned doctors from some of the most reputed medical institutions had converged in Mumbai for a three-day conference on “Healthcare: A commodity or basic human need?” It was organised by Tata Memorial Centre, India’s leading cancer care institute. During a session on “sustainable models of health institutions”, doctors expressed concern over the increasingly commercial approach of the private medical institutions.
“For an affordable healthcare model to become sustainable, it has to be high quality and low cost. Today, patients go shopping for doctors and tests because they are confused. People come with common ailments. Medicine is eminently clinical hand-based, touch-based. But today, it is investigation-based as there is lot of money involved in it,” lamented Dr Sunil Chandy, Director of Christian Medical College, Vellore.
Experts opined that apart from focusing on optimum treatment solutions and substantially increasing the professional salaries of healthcare providers, the emphasis should also be on creating a more robust healthcare in the rural areas. “For example, today, 57% opthalmologists cater to the 10% urban population. To look after the remaining 90% of the population which is rural, only 43% opthalmologists are available,” said Dr P. Namperumalsamy, chairperson-emeritus of Aravind Eye Care System.
“It is necessary for healthcare to move robustly to rural areas. Every village should have one centre of excellence. Also, India needs at least 10 times more general practitioners of quality, than specialists today,” Dr Chandy said.
Dr Rajendra Badwe, director of Tata Medical Centre, opined that treatment without frills will help in creating models that are scalable, growth-oriented, self-sustainable and affordable. Tata Memorial Centre is India’s leading cancer care institute. It treats a whopping 67,000 cancer patients every year. It offers free cancer treatment to 30% of its patients. Another 30% pay five to 20% mark-up, while 20% pay 25% to 50% mark-up. Tata hospital sells cancer medicines at almost one-fifth of the market price, due to the scale at which it itself buys those medicines. The benefit is passed down to the patients and their families.
Another premier health institution which functions on “high volume, low price model” is the Christian Medical College of Vellore. “Our mission statement is that healthcare is a service and not a business. The doctors and the students are taught a culture of charity. Profit should not be the primary motive behind treating people. Our doctors are always told, ‘Treat first. Ask for money later.’ We work on strict cost-cutting strategies. We have a high volume, low price model. We also believe in preventing over-investigation and over-treatment. We don’t use expensive technology on our patients. Today, the need is to practise medicine with a heart. The health fraternity needs a re-commitment to be stewards of life. You can’t make money out of someone’s misery,” Dr Chandy said.