What are the major healthcare challenges faced by India in achieving universal healthcare coverage
Describe the key healthcare challenges that need to be addressed for achieving universal healthcare coverage in India.
- Insufficient healthcare infrastructure: India needs more healthcare facilities like hospitals, clinics, and health centers to cater to its large population, especially in rural areas where there are few healthcare facilities.
- Lack of adequate funding: Healthcare in India is grossly underfunded, and government spending on healthcare is less than 2% of GDP. This has led to a shortage of healthcare workforce and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.
- Inadequate health insurance coverage: Only a small percentage of the population is covered by health insurance. Most people cannot afford healthcare due to high out-of-pocket expenses.
- Poor coordination between public and private healthcare providers: Lack of coordination between public and private healthcare providers leads to inefficient healthcare delivery and duplication of services.
- Inadequate healthcare workforce: India lacks skilled healthcare professionals, especially in rural areas where healthcare facilities are inadequate.
- Poor health awareness: Lack of awareness about healthcare and preventive measures among the population hinders the effective delivery of healthcare services.
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a year ago