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Raise bar of quality

Young Bites. Dated: 2/14/2018 10:45:15 AM

This is high time that we redefine healthcare and make a determined effort, as an interdisciplinary team, allowing the technocrats to implement innovative programs. In democracy, the remedial approach needs to be innovative, pragmatic and actionable that can resurrect the system, bypassing corruption, overcoming complacency and inefficiency. There is a need to incorporate “cooperative thinking” in the system by diverting efforts towards provision of universal basic care i.e. “Good for most rather than best for few”. This is a huge task with an inherently contradictory objective, but essentially requires a planned trial. System now requires a radical surgery, no palliation. We need to bring the authority of public sector and efficiency and energy of private sector together. The current national agenda calls for an immediate focus on the rural health delivery systems including tribal and inaccessible areas, which constitute nearly 70% of the population hitherto deprived of the advancements in health and disease management. The million dollar question is that despite the available resources, generated from higher economic growth, nothing has worked. The lack of clear vision, absence of inclusive strategies, lack of motivation, zeal and enthusiasm combined with failure of bureaucratic leadership are some of the reasons impairing rural health care delivery. The pride and status of medical professional of all cadres is waning. There is an utter disregard for the attempts to provide basic amenities to employees in rural areas by the state. Apathetic attitude of management for their staff and lack of professional protection during health care delivery further aggravates the problem. This holds back health care providers to take innovative steps suitable to local needs. There is an absence of reward for excellence or punishment for failures in the system. Introduction of a mechanism to measure accountability of health care workers and quality of work done by them as well as to reward the star performers can result in raising the bar of quality. Some important elements of NABH’s guidelines have been proposed as a means to improve the management of health care delivery in both urban and rural regions. Outbreaks of Malaria, Dengue, swine flu and other seasonal diseases, requiring urgent attention, depletes major share of resources which could be addressed by provision for supplementary funds. There is a gross disconnect between primary, secondary and tertiary care facilities. Likewise private sector has its own concerns of massive treatment cost, lack of sensitivity and absence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes. While the Govt hospitals need to learn from efficient utilization of manpower from management practices of private hospitals, the private hospitals need to reduce their costs of treatment.