‘Public sector’s failure led to expansion of private sector’

Private healthcare like any other private sector needs to be regulated. In Mumbai, the private sector expansion is largely due to the failure of the public health system.

Should there be a health policy to govern private health care investment in Mumbai?

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Private healthcare like any other private sector needs to be regulated. In Mumbai, the private sector expansion is largely due to the failure of the public health system. In the early 90s, the BMC used to spend between 25% and 30% of its budget on public health services. Today this is down to 13%. The state’s allocation for public health is down from 1% of the net state domestic product to 0.48%.

How does one ensure adequate facilities in areas such as infectious diseases, psychiatry, trauma and emergency care in pvt sector?

Private health care sector is driven by profit and will not touch public health concerns. It is critical that state has a strong health policy and increases its investment.

What role can public-private partnership play in ensuring better health care facilities?

The private sector will be necessary to achieve the goal of universal access to healthcare.In Mumbai, less than 15% of the out-patient cases are handled by public hospitals. For in-patient care, public hospitals need more investments to improve facilities.