Preventive Healthcare in India

Cause of Death

Chronic diseases are the main cause of death and are linked to increase health costs. These are the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cardiac diseases and respiratory diseases. Each year, millions of people die of preventable deaths.

According to CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),
Top 10 Causes of Death in India are:
1. lschemic heart disease
2. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
3. Stroke
4. Diarrheal diseases
5. Lower respiratory infections
6. Tuberculosis
7. Neonatal disorders
8. Asthma
9. Diabetes
10. Chronic kidney disease

These issues can be addressed at the early stage through vital screening and consultation at regular interval.
Preventive healthcare is encouraged as part of the population health approach and includes both clinical preventive services and screening tests.

Some Facts on Healthcare

According to the National Health Accounts, 2013-14, in India, only 9.6% of the overall healthcare expenditure is spent on preventive healthcare. In other words, more than 90% of overall healthcare expenses goes towards treating diseases and their complications; amounting to more than Rs 3.6 lakh crore per year. According to the IBEF Healthcare, 2014, close to 50% of such expenses goes towards inpatient beds for lifestyle diseases, especially in urban and semi-urban areas.

Medical care is extremely expensive. Why to spend money on treating preventable diseases and their complications when prevention is far easier and cheaper?

What is Preventive Healthcare?

It is always said that “Prevention is Better Than Cure”. Preventive healthcare deals with the prevention of illness to decrease the burden of disease and associated risk factors. An individual should take measures to prevent diseases rather than treating them. In medical terminology, it is called prophylaxis which means, treatment given or action taken to prevent disease.

Early detection of diseases through preventive tests not only saves life but also protects individual and his family from going through immense physical, emotional and financial distress.

Preventive healthcare, includes identification and minimization of disease risk factors and early disease detection through screening.

Preventive healthcare involves:

Everyday healthy habits (as recommended by doctor)
Regular health check-ups (as recommended by doctor)
Immunizations
Periodic health screenings

Having said all these, if you follow a proper lifestyle and proper nutrition then you would not fall sick.

“The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the prevention” – Thomas A Edison

Why Preventive Healthcare?

1. Reduce Healthcare Cost

Healthcare costs are huge around the world. In India, the majority of the population can't afford the rising healthcare cost and quality healthcare services.

Most of the time, people end up selling property and jewellery to pay their medical bills.

With the high cost of healthcare services increasing every day, moving towards preventive healthcare will witness positive healthcare benefits and save lakhs in paying medical bills.

2. Healthcare Challenges in India

It’s been a big challenge to deliver quality primary healthcare to large populations due to the following.

Awareness: People are less or not aware of their own health issue. They put it in low priority in their list. They are not aware if health related issues are dealt at early stage the burden will be very less.

Accessibility: In India approximately 30% of population (majorly urban)have proper access to healthcare provider , however 70% of population ( majorly rural ) are deprived or less access to proper healthcare service.

Absence of Skilled Manpower: The ratio of doctor to 1:10,189 we are in short of 600000 doctors. Similarly the nurse ration is 1 : 483 where is shortage is 2 millions. This makes it extremely difficult to deliver proper healthcare.

Affordability Cost: The public healthcare facility provide healthcare at low cost or no cost. However it is perceived as being unreliable.

Prevention is Always Affordable and Easy

The probability of getting cured is much lesser after being diagnosed with a disease. Preventive measures like, getting annual health check-ups keep one informed.

The preventive health check-up lets one know what’s going on inside the body, and what needs to be worked upon and what doesn’t.

This is where Medvise Futurekare has a massive role to play. Medvise Futurekare innovates and work towards driving not just to change the mindset, but also address issues pertaining to quality and affordability.

We as Medvise Futurekare, are already seeing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data Analytics in diagnostics. Medvise Futurekare within its capability working much to change the things at the fundamental level, shorter turnaround times through automation and value-added services like mobile application with real-time information.

Medvise Futurekare with its solution tries to address the challenges through following means:

1. Affordable Screening at any location through the use of portable device.

2. Reaching out the specialist Physician using technology using Internet.

3. Storing of medical record for future consultation and referring to medical history can help the consultant to take better decision.

Important Points to be Considered

The below points can be considered to make preventive healthcare more strengthen in India:

Integrated preventive healthcare system that would create awareness and could detect and diagnosis of diseases.

The Govt. should think about implementing a healthcare system towards prevention, screening, early detection and new treatment facilities with an aim to reduce the burden of chronic disease.

Access to quality healthcare services on an affordable basis.

All Govt. offices and private corporates should also be incentivized for their interest in preventive measures for all their employees.

Government should make a compulsory routine check - up healthcare programme for all individuals from the age of 25 years.

Education or awareness about healthcare, example; prevention of diseases through awareness, dealing with health promotion and information of availability of treatment must also be considered as essential healthcare.

Need to motivate screening of diseases amongst people and create individual health records.

To make more support towards district hospitals for diagnosis and managing of NCDs (non-communicable diseases).

Reference & External Links

1. https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/preventive-healthcare-going-beyond-an-apple-a-day/1273032/

2. https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/preventive-healthcare-the-need-of-the-hour-for-corporates/60002254

3. https://www.rmhp.org/blog/2013/november/preventive-healthcare-what-does-it-mean

4. https://www.expresshealthcare.in/blogs/guest-blogs-healthcare/why-personalised-preventive-healthcare-should-be-an-integral-part-of-healthcare-management/415563/

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4014652/

6. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Whats-killing-Indians/articleshow/54930853.cms

7. https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/india/default.htm

Address

Medvise Futurekare Pvt Ltd
Millennium Towers (A-Type)
A5-8-3, Sector 9, Sanpada
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 400705

Contacts

Email: connect@medvisepro.com

Phone: +91 91672 17565

+91 98806 27729

+91 98196 66216

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