Discuss the main drawbacks of our health care system.
In recent years, India has embarked upon the development of vast health infrastructure.. This is evident from the fall in the death rate, infant mortality rate and rise in life expectancy. But more needs to be done in the field of health care. The following are some of the deficiencies in the Indian health care:
a. Unequal Distribution of Health Care Services: The health care services are unequally distributed across rural and urban areas. Rural areas that supports 70 % of the population, has only 15th of the hospitals. Further, the doctor-population ratio is as worse as 1:2,000. This implies that for every 2,000 people, there is only one doctor in India. Only half of the dispensaries are set up in villages. Most of the health care facilities have been confined mostly to the urban areas.
b. Communicable Diseases: various communicable diseases like AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Syndrome), and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)have made their way to India.. All these deadly diseases pose serious threat to the human capital reserve, thereby, impeding economic growth.
c. Poor Management: The health care centres lack trained and skilled personnel in the rural areas. Therefore, rural people have to rush to the urban health care centres. This becomes worse in the absence of proper roads and other cost-effective means of transportation.
d. Lack of Modern Techniques and Facilities:The government health centres are usually devoid of the basic facilities like blood testing, X-rays, etc. These centres lack modern techniques and medical facilities like, CT-scan, sonography, etc. In order to avail these services, people need to depend on the private hospitals that charge exorbitant fees.
e. Privatisation: The inability of the government to provide sufficient health care centres and other medical facilities paved the way for the private sector to step in. The private sector is governed by price signals, thereby, catering to the need of the higher income group, leaving the low income group and the poor at their own mercy. This is due to the privatisation of the health care sector. The private hospitals are attracting more patients than the government hospitals as the government hospitals are devoid of facilities.
Infrastructure contributes to the economic development of a country. Do you agree? Explain.
What are the various non-commercial sources of energy?
What is the significance of ‘energy’? Differentiate between commercial and non-commercial sources of energy.
How do infrastructure facilities boost production?
What is a ‘global burden of disease’?
What is the state of rural infrastructure in India?
Describe the meaning of public health. Discuss the major public health measures undertaken by the state in recent years to control diseases.
How has women’s health become a matter of great concern?
Explain the two categories into which infrastructure is divided. How are both interdependent?
How are the rates of consumption of energy and economic growth connected?
What was the focus of the economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India? What were the impacts of these policies?
What are the two major sources of human capital in a country?
What do you mean by rural development? Bring out the key issues in rural development.
Define a plan?
Who is a worker?
What is meant by environment?
Why are regional and economic groupings formed?
Why were reforms introduced in India?
Why calorie-based norm is not adequate to identify the poor?
Name some notable economists who estimated India’s per capita income during the colonial period?
What was the focus of the economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India? What were the impacts of these policies?
Compare and contrast the development of India, China and Pakistan with respect to some salient human development indicators.
What is marketable surplus?
What are the major factors responsible for the high growth of the service sector?
Define the liberty indicator. Give some examples of liberty indicators.
Why are tariffs imposed?
What objectives did the British intend to achieve through their policies of infrastructure development in India?
Why did India opt for planning?
How is RBI controlling the commercial banks?
Why was the public sector given a leading role in industrial development during the planning period?