Medicine and monsoons

Hospital administration is a major challenge in the present day environment of private and corporate hospitals, where demands from the community are ever increasing. Most Indians seek healthcare in private facilities, as public facilities often suffer from a variety of problems. These include: worker absence and dual public-private practice; low demand for their use; and, shortages of supplies and staff. In contrast, private healthcare varies greatly in quality across centres, as it is unregulated and financed largely through out-of-pocket payments. Smaller rural hospitals face the challenges of staff retention and financial sustainability, as they continue to fulfil their mission of serving the poor. Despite this, the number of patients seen in EHA hospitals has been increasing. The implementation of national health insurance coverage for below-poverty-line families known as Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) has enabled EHA hospitals to provide greater care to those in need. From my limited experience, my impression is that, while India is moving forward as a developing nation, it has yet to fully educate its rural population in matters pertaining to personal healthcare. The dilemmas they face have as much to do with complex social barriers and long-held beliefs and customs that interfere with progress, as with limited medical resources for a rapidly expanding population. I remain optimistic, given the resourcefulness and commitment of the medical personnel that I worked with during my placement, that India will one day be able to address these challenges more successfully.