Advancements in science and technology over recent decades have had a positive impact on global health. Recent advancements in the healthcare sector have led to a massive improvement in public health. However, it cannot be denied that a multitude of geographic, economic and social variables exist, that limit these benefits from having a global footprint. 

If we look at the global life expectancy-at-birth list, we find that Africa has the lowest life expectancy rates, while wealthier countries of Europe and Asia boast of the highest life expectancies. India stands at 164 out of the 224 countries in the global life expectancy list. This reflects an ineffective healthcare infrastructure. High population, unsanitary conditions, poor hygiene habits in addition to, tropical climate and uneven distribution of wealth make Indians pre-disposed to a variety of diseases.

For any economy, health infrastructure is reflective of the country’s healthcare policy and welfare mechanism. Talking of health infrastructure, we can say that it consists of many components. While the list is immense, the following are the major ones for India: 

1. Skilled Workforce: Qualified doctors and efficient healthcare professionals are prime factors for an effective healthcare system. With the availability of one doctor for 921 people, there is an imminent need for more medical schools and health care practitioners in India. The condition gets worse in the rural parts of the country which faces a severe resource crunch both in terms of health professionals and infrastructural requirements.

Stringent education systems that focus on the higher output of qualified health professionals and mandatory deployment at rural locations will be strategic. The journey of personnel from education to recruitment and deployment needs to be aligned with public health goals.

2. Integrated Information Systems: Complete and reliable information is essential to the seamless functioning, future development, and sustainability of our healthcare systems. An effective health information system aims at recording, analyzing, circulating and using reliable and timely data by decision-makers at all levels of the health system. This pool of information thus developed, further helps the policymakers and/or the concerned agencies to define issues and focus on threats while providing timely information to counter more significant public health issues. 

3. Health Organizations: A substantial chunk of the healthcare delivery model is under the purview of the government. Although the government has secondary and tertiary care facilities, India’s large population and geography call for a strategic partnership between all its stakeholders. Government bodies should legislate and mediate policy while partnering with non-profit and private health organizations. Thus increased availability of quality healthcare services will alleviate the condition of the needy. The government’s role should hence, change to that of an insurer from a provider. A secure network of health care units both government-run and privately held should continue to expand into the rural hinterlands of the country.

4. Resources: Resources account for all personnel, materials, facilities, funds and anything else that can be used to provide healthcare services. In spite of the various schemes launched by the government, the healthcare sector still faces a lot of challenges that need to be taken care of. The government needs to allocate more cash for the health sector which would ensure filling up of the resource crunch. India, in no doubts, is a significant member of the BRICS countries; however, it’s a fact that India’s expenditure in the health sector is the lowest among all the BRICS countries. Private investments can play a crucial role in dealing with the cash crisis here albeit; a strong partnership among the investors needs to prevail. To sum up, it can be said that for better health infrastructure, an integrated patient-centric system that aligns the policies, funds and day-to-day functioning of organizations is the need of the hour.

5. Research: Lack of qualified personnel, funds, infrastructural requirements, and inadequate training has stunted medical research in India. We are to a great extent, dependent on other countries for tools, machinery, and other advanced technologies. India needs to fill in the gaps to procure the most recent technological advancements; however; a lot needs to be done at the grassroots level in this regard. Quality research will help in making headway technical development. 

If we look today, government’s initiatives like Ayushman Bharat Yojna show good intent and are a step in the right direction, but we need an initiative that is more inclusive, adaptive and flexible. There are multiple challenges that we face, and we need to address them all.