Healthcare is the right of every individual but lack of quality infrastructure, the dearth of qualified medical functionaries, and non-access to basic medicines and medical facilities thwart its reach to 60% of the population in India. A majority of 700 million people live in rural areas where the condition of medical facilities is deplorable. Considering the picture of grim facts there is a dire need for new practices and procedures to ensure that quality and timely healthcare reaches the deprived corners of the Indian villages. Though a lot of policies and programs are being run by the Government but the success and effectiveness of these programs is questionable due to gaps in the implementation. In rural India, where the number of Primary health care centers (PHCs) is limited, 8% of the centers do not have doctors or medical staff, 39% do not have lab technicians, and 18% PHCs do not even have a pharmacist.
India also accounts for the largest number of maternity deaths. A majority of these are in rural areas where maternal health care is poor. Even in the private sector, health care is often confined to family planning and antenatal care and does not extend to more critical services like labor and delivery, where proper medical care can save a life in the case of complications.
Several organizations are working alongside the government and NGOs to help relieve the burden on the public health system using mobile technology. India has over 900 million mobile phone users and this fact can be leveraged to employ better practices in even the remote areas to bridge the gaps in healthcare services.
Similarly, Anganwadi is a type of rural mother and child care center in India. They were started by the Indian government in 1975 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program to combat child hunger and malnutrition. Anganwadi means “courtyard shelter” in Indian languages.
We can improve the government health services by introducing more advanced technologies, they should introduce more cost-effective and higher quality products to the rural section of society; moreover, the funds raised by the government for health services should have strict checks and balances in place for the utilization of the given money into a proper way so that it can be executed for public use more effectively.
The government health services should include more of one-time-use products that should be disposable and the government should launch an affordable mediclaim policy for poor people so that they can secure their health without making a hole in their pocket.