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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a historical overview of the health service sector in India. The development in the healthcare sector from the late eighteenth century into current times is examined from the prism of the role played by British and US healthcare systems in influencing change in the Indian setup.Design/methodology/approach Online databases searched were PubMed and JSTOR, using the search terms, “Indian health service system in transition”, “British influence on the Indian healthcare setup” and “American neo-liberal influence on Indian healthcare sector”. The authors then examined titles and abstracts of selected articles for short-listing relevant articles. Reference lists of selected articles were examined for further locating related studies. While this constituted the secondary literature for the current paper, reports by governmental and non-governmental organisation reports on the Indian health service system too were utilised as primary data sources.Findings Influenced by the British and later by the American healthcare system, the Indian healthcare network has undergone numerous changes. In the present era, the Indian healthcare system is increasingly veering towards the American model of healthcare delivery. Health is increasingly being conceived of as a commodity to be traded in the market, with the state’s role curtailed towards provisioning for and facilitating access of the weakest sections of the society through a means-tested insurance system. This has happened without adequate checks and balances on the private sector to ensure that the needs of the people accessing the system are adequately met.Social implications By tracing the development of the health service sector in India and the motives that guide such change, the paper depicts how the thrust of the system has altered from one providing universal healthcare services to the people, irrespective of their ability to pay, at the time of independence to commercialisation in present times. With the marketisation of healthcare, the focus has shifted from serving people to profiting from the provisioning of healthcare.Originality/value The paper throws light on the underlying inadequacies of the Indian healthcare setup and the need for more active participation by the government in this sector in the future if it aims to make healthcare more equitably accessible to its vast population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ayurveda is India’s traditional system of medicine. around 80% population, especially using this system of medicine for their health care management. There are many issues and concerns over the usage of Ayurveda, They are simplified and try to deal in this paper. The methodology used to complete this review was through empirical research. This is a cross-sectional study where the use of Ayurveda utilized in this current period is examined. The sources are mostly from a doctor of Ayurvedic medicine and credible online sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sound health care system is the prime requisite for the effective health conditions of the people of a nation. But unfortunately the performance of India in this respect is quite disappointing. Evidences showed that studies on public health care delivery system are limited both in Indian as well as in the context of the North Eastern Region. This paper is an attempt to assess the pattern of utilization of primary health care. The study is based on primary data. The study found that there are problems associated with health care delivery system like lack of accessibility to the public health care facilities, shortage of medical equipment, shortage of medicines in government hospitals, lack of infrastructural facilities, low seat capacity and over crowdedness etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to assess the usefulness of conceptions of different modes of governance for understanding policy outcomes by studying the experience with hierarchical and non-hierarchical governance modes in the health care sector in China, India, and Thailand. The paper shows their experience with non-hierarchical modes to have been largely disappointing and that all three, but especially Thailand, are in the process of reverting to a more hierarchical mode of service delivery. The conclusion from this study is that non-hierarchical governance is not a substitute for or an improvement upon hierarchical governance in health care due to the many market and government failures that afflict the sector and affect the ability of different governance modes to function effectively. The hierarchical mode of government is also imperfect but less so than the alternatives in delivering health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menstrual cups are considered a sustainable solution for menstrual health and hygiene management, as they are cost-effective, environment-friendly, reusable and offer health benefits over traditional menstrual hygiene products such as pads and tampons. However, in lower middle income countries (LMICs), menstrual cup use is limited. Recently, India's current menstrual hygiene program has included menstrual cups as an option for menstrual health and hygiene management. However, the menstrual cup has not been promoted widely in the Indian context. Even if the use of menstrual cups among female healthcare providers in India is minimal, the manuscript identified the crucial challenges in menstrual health and hygiene management, the role of menstrual cups as a solution and the essential strategies to increase menstrual cup use. Programmatic success requires endorsement from healthcare providers as they are trusted sources of information related to healthcare. Good experiences and leading examples from healthcare providers about using menstrual cups is a welcoming step in the path of the dream of a "pad-free country" for India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health and illness were interpreted in a cosmological and anthropological prospective. Medicine was dominated by magical and religious beliefs which were an integral part of ancient cultural and civilization. Over the years development planning in India has focused on reducing the burden of illness and mortality among women and children. A large number of development and public health programmes such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) have been geared towards this, since a long time. India is committed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly with respect to maternal and child health. Awareness generation is a major responsibility and fundamental importance, to ensure utilization of various healthcare programmes implemented by Government. The Indian healthcare sector can be viewed as a glass half empty or a glass half full. In this research paper author focuses on The Status of health care services in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian healthcare sector is one of the fastest growing sectors. The growth of trade in health care services through medical tourism has led India as an affordable destination. Patients from foreign countries come to India for surgical purposes due to low cost and high quality of hospital services. The country has huge potential to grow up and also expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17 percent from the year 2011 to 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited literature exists in India on WhatsApp use for health communication among frontline health workers like Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM). We conducted this study to assess the adoption of WhatsApp among ANMs and identify factors influencing its adoption. In addition, the study explored the perceptions of ANMs on WhatsApp use for sharing health information. We employed a mixed-method sequential explanatory design. We surveyed 259 ANMs, followed by in-depth interviews with 19 purposively sampled ANMs. We conducted multinomial logistic regression to identify factors associated with WhatsApp adoption and employed thematic analysis to analyze interviews. 257 ANMs responded to the survey questionnaire, of which 18.3%, 48.2%, and 33.5% had low, mid, and high levels of WhatsApp adoption, respectively. Education (AOR = 2.87 [95% CI = 1.20–6.85]), motivation (AOR = 6.31 [95% CI = 1.43–27.80]), and technical awareness (AOR = 2.91 [95% CI = 1.11–7.62]) were significantly associated with WhatsApp adoption. Thematic analysis of the interviews resulted in six themes describing perceptions and experiences of ANMs on WhatsApp use. They are: (i) a way of instant communication, (ii) provision for multimedia messaging, (iii) a quick fix tool for queries and concerns, (iv) make attendance and reporting easy (v) a way of reaching higher officials, and (vi) a cost-saving mechanism. WhatsApp facilitated ANMs' communication and service delivery at the grassroots level. Measures to improve motivation, technical awareness, and digital education will likely improve WhatsApp adoption among health workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimIn this paper, we assess the degree to which the observed consistency in maternal health-care utilization can be accounted for by social and economic demand determinants at individual and household level on the one hand and community access to health services in terms of health, road and education facilities on the other.Data and methodsData from the three rounds of national family health survey of India (NFHS-1, -2 and -3) conducted in 1992–93, 1998–99 and 2005–06 are used in this analysis. The results of the analysis are presented in two sections. First, statewise profiles of maternal health-care utilization from NFHS-1, -2 and -3 are presented to compare the trends. Second, the influence of demand and access factors estimated from multi-level logistic regression models are presented for selected states of India.ResultsResults reveal that inequalities in maternal health-care utilization by socio-economic status have narrowed because of the impact of complementing factors of greater community access, and social and economical advancement in the south Indian states, where overall maternal health-care coverage is at the top end of the scale. In contrast, in the demographically lagging northern states of India, which are at the bottom end of the health coverage scale, both access and socio-economic demand determinants indicate greater inequalities in maternal health-care utilization.ConclusionLack of access to health care, slow progress in socio-economic conditions and cultural constraints are major determinants of poor maternal health-care coverage among Indian states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian urban women have come a long way regarding careers and social standing. However, they still remain unaware of their personal well-being and health needs. Often, they ignore their health problems until the problems become unavoidable, chronic or even fatal. The present paper focuses on the determinants of women's health in urban India, including accessibility of health services, education, gender, class and geographical location, employment, availability of services, social history and culture. The paper also suggests some changes required in policies for improving urban women's health in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important issue for health policy and planning is the way in which multiple sources of disadvantage, such as class, gender, caste, race, ethnicity, and so forth, work together to influence health. Although 'intersectionality' is a topic for which there is growing interest and evidence, several questions as yet remain unanswered. These gaps partly reflect limitations in the quantitative methods used to study intersectionality in health, even though the techniques used to analyse health inequalities as separable processes can be sophisticated. In this paper, we discuss a method we developed to analyse the intersections between different social inequalities, including a technique to test for differences along the entire span of the social spectrum, not just between the extremes. We show how this method can be applied to the analysis of intersectionality in access to healthcare, using cross-sectional data in Koppal, one of the poorest districts in Karnataka, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resettlement poses several risks to vulnerable urban populations such as slum dwellers in cities like Mumbai in the Third World. The causes for involuntary resettlement in the urban context, such as the expansion of airports, widening roads, or building of commercial complexes, are often unconnected to the lives of those living in slums. Resettlement is associated with economic hardships, disruption of the social fabric, and a feeling of uprootment, alienation and psychological trauma. This paper is based on the findings of an action-research study conducted in a resettled slum community in Mumbai, India that aimed to understand the implications of involuntary resettlement from a human rights perspective. It focuses on the impact of involuntary resettlement on issues concerning women's health. It discusses gender differentials in morbidity patterns and the access to healthcare. It argues that there is a need for integrated planning to ensure an improvement in overall living conditions, which also include provision and access to health services apart from just the mere allocation of alternate housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper begins with a historical evaluation of health care in India and the developed countries and then tries to analyse the existing health care services in our country. It highlights how health activism of the last three decades has raised people's consciousness and concerns for health issues. In the last few years. activism has shifted from experimentation in provision to the demand for better provision and control over providers. The paper concludes with suggestions for encouraging the emergence of a health movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The paper evaluates an Indian maternal conditional cash transfer scheme. Launched in 2005, the program gives women cash transfers for receiving maternal and child health care services. Data are drawn from India’s District Level Household Survey to evaluate the program’s impact. Results indicate that the program had a limited overall effect: relative to the broader population, the targeted population experienced a 3 percentage point increase in medically supervised births, but no increase in ante-natal or post-natal care. We do however, find evidence of heterogeneity of impact. Women without any formal education and women in rural areas experience disproportionate gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the political economy of health inequalities and inequities in the public health care system in India and identifies potential areas for interventions to promote equal and equitable health care for marginalized people. Drawing on the Political Economy of Health Model of Research, this article reiterates the inadequacy of policy frameworks and programs in ensuring accessible, affordable, and quality public health care services to all. We argue that for policies to be successful, policymakers should consider the diverse social registries of class, caste, religion, gender, region, ethnicity, and age, as well as their intersections. We also argue that health care policies and programs need to be: (a) dynamic and flexible, (b) intersectional and backed up by sufficient grassroots research, and (c) equitable at every stage of policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Steroid-based intensive medical therapy for severe ulcerative colitis is successful in 60-70% of such patients. Patients with complications or those refractory to medical therapy require emergency colectomy for salvage. Little is known about the impact of timing of surgical intervention and surgical outcomes of such patients undergoing emergency surgery in India where the diagnosis is often delayed or missed in patients who are poor, malnourished and non-compliant to medical treatment. Methods: The clinical records of all patients undergoing emergency surgery for severe ulcerative colitis or its complication in the Department of GI surgery AIIMS, New Delhi, India, between January 1985 and December 2003 were retrieved and data pertaining to demographic features, duration of intensive medical therapy, presence of complications, time from admission to emergency surgery, surgical procedure, in-hospital morbidity and mortality and follow up status extracted. Results: A total of 72 patients underwent emergency surgery (Subtotal colectomy: 60; ileostomy alone under local anaesthesia: 12). Poor nutritional status was seen in 61% of the patients. Twenty-one patients (29%) underwent emergency surgery for complications of severe ulcerative colitis such as colonic perforation (spontaneous 6, iatrogenic 4), massive lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage (5), toxic megacolon (4) and large bowel obstruction (2). The remaining patients (n = 51) underwent emergency surgery following failed intensive therapy; 17 underwent surgery =5 days (Group I) and 34 were operated >5 days (Group II) after initiation of intensive therapy. In this group all the post-operative deaths (n = 8) occurred in those who were operated after 5 days. The difference in mortality in these two groups (i.e. surgical intervention = or >5 days) was statistically significant {0/17 (Group I) vs 8/34 (Group II); p = 0.03}. Overall, 12 patients died (in-hospital mortality: 16.7%). The mortality was higher (10/43; 23.3%) in our early experience (i.e.1985-1995) when compared to our subsequent experience (2/29; 6.9%) (1996-2003). A total of 48 patients (including 3 awaiting a restorative procedure) are alive on follow up (66.7%; 3 patients lost to follow up). A restorative procedure could be successfully completed in 81% of the survivors of the emergency procedure. Conclusion: To optimize the outcome, a combined team of physicians and surgeons should be involved in the management of patients with severe ulcerative colitis with focus on nutritional support, correction of metabolic derangements, close clinical monitoring and timely assessment for the need for emergency surgery. This retrospective analysis shows that improved results can be achieved with experience and by following a policy of early surgical intervention within 5 days, especially in patients who have failed intensive medical therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a webinar in 2015 on health financing and gender, the question was raised why we need to focus on gender, given that a well-functioning system moving towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) will automatically be equitable and gender balanced. This article provides a reflection on this question from a panel of health financing and gender experts.We trace the evidence of how health-financing reforms have impacted gender and health access through a general literature review and a more detailed case-study of India. We find that unless explicit attention is paid to gender and its intersectionality with other social stratifications, through explicit protection and careful linking of benefits to needs of target populations (e.g. poor women, unemployed men, female-headed households), movement towards UHC can fail to achieve gender balance or improve equity, and may even exacerbate gender inequity. Political trade-offs are made on the road to UHC and the needs of less powerful groups, which can include women and children, are not necessarily given priority.We identify the need for closer collaboration between health economists and gender experts, and highlight a number of research gaps in this field which should be addressed. While some aspects of cost sharing and some analysis of expenditure on maternal and child health have been analysed from a gender perspective, there is a much richer set of research questions to be explored to guide policy making. Given the political nature of UHC decisions, political economy as well as technical research should be prioritized.We conclude that countries should adopt an equitable approach towards achieving UHC and, therefore, prioritize high-need groups and those requiring additional financial protection, in particular women and children. This constitutes the 'progressive universalism' advocated for by the 2013 Lancet Commission on Investing in Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies. Public-Private Partnerships and Collaboration (PPPs and PPC) in the Health Sector is important and timely in light of the challenges the public sector is facing in healthcare finance, management, and provision. PPPs and PPC in the health sector can take a variety of forms with differing degrees of public and private sector responsibility and risk but are characterized by various similarities as well. In our country, with regard to health care, the main responsibility is that of the state which aims to provide free access to health care system to all sections of the society. But a look at the health infrastructure of our country shows that in rural areas, in particular, there is insufficient infrastructure, be it hospitals, primary health care systems, ambulances etc. Hence, the urgent need of the government is to immediately take measures that will help to develop a basis to provide the needed medical support to all. Although the private sector is inequitable and expensive with over-application of clinical/operational procedures, it is perceived to be easily accessible, better managed and more efficient than its public counterpart. It is expected that PPP model in the sector will prove the success story of Indian health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being newcomers, immigrants often exhibit better health relative to native-born populations in industrialized societies. We extend prior efforts to identify whether self-selection and/or protection explain this advantage. We examine migrant height and smoking levels just prior to immigration to test for self-selection; and we analyze smoking behavior since immigration, controlling for self-selection, to assess protection. We study individuals aged 20-49 from five major national origins: India, China, the Philippines, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. To assess self-selection, we compare migrants, interviewed in the National Health and Interview Surveys (NHIS), with nonmigrant peers in sending nations, interviewed in the World Health Surveys. To test for protection, we contrast migrants' changes in smoking since immigration with two counterfactuals: (1) rates that immigrants would have exhibited had they adopted the behavior of U.S.-born non-Hispanic whites in the NHIS (full "assimilation"); and (2) rates that migrants would have had if they had adopted the rates of nonmigrants in sending countries (no-migration scenario). We find statistically significant and substantial self-selection, particularly among men from both higher-skilled (Indians and Filipinos in height, Chinese in smoking) and lower-skilled (Mexican) undocumented pools. We also find significant and substantial protection in smoking among immigrant groups with stronger relative social capital (Mexicans and Dominicans). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, health inequality, rooted in structural elements of the public healthcare system, is a topic of much concern and discussion in research literature. However, very few articles have approached this persistent problem from a theoretical standpoint. This article addresses this gap by employing the social justice framework of the Health Capability Paradigm (HCP). After critically analyzing some features of the Indian healthcare system, the article argues that some public healthcare system features not only cause health inequalities, but more specifically cause inequities in central health capabilities to avoid escapable diseases and premature death. To address such inequities, the article argues from an HCP perspective that the Indian healthcare system should (a) revise the national health policy's underlying vision of health, (b) reshape its three-tiered public healthcare system to deliver healthcare services to all, and (c) focus on core HCP concepts such as shared health governance and shortfall inequality as guiding principles to provide universal health coverage to all. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In India 60% of the population has no access to mainstream healthcare. Although traditional systems of medicine have been around for thousands of years, their integration is rare. This pilot project suggests traditional medicine may be a viable option for improving the health of rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author argues that prioritizing public health services for low- and middle-income countries is needed in order to be fair in the implementation of universal health coverage (UHC) as of 2016, and it mentions the World Health Organization (WHO), public health services in India, and proposals for reducing out-of-pocket payments. According to the article, UHC is achieved when all people receive quality health care services without exposing them to financial hardship.

The article focuses on the National Health Bill 2009 introduced by the Indian government. Health is a fundamental human right under the bill. The provision of medical care to all patients under any circumstances, including inability to pay the costs, is guaranteed by the bill. According to the author, the bill would demand increased levels of professionalism, standards of care and accountability from the care providers should it be enacted.