PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

courtesy: Dr. K. Kishore Kumar, Secretary, QPMPA

Rural Healthcare:-

The problem faced by the Medical Practitioners is:-

1. Non availability of supporting staff, like Nurses & Paramedical staff.

2. Lack of amenities in a Hospitals to give proper care for the patients.

3. Non availability of 24 hours clean water supply and electricity in hospitals.

4. Nonpayment of salary at par with urban area.

5. Lack of basic facilities like accommodation and proper toilet facilities in work place, security, schools and colleges for children.

Infrastructure:-

                Starting BSc Community Healthcare is not an ideal solution for improving rural healthcare in India. If proper facilities and other adequate supporting facilities are provided for Doctors, they will work in rural areas.

                New medical colleges or medical townships should be constructed in rural areas.

                Government should provide adequate job opportunities for medical graduates as many are working for meagre salary in towns, due to lack of infrastructure in rural areas.

                Starting peripheral centres with all departments by the existing Medical colleges in towns along with supply of medicines and Lab facilities is another solution.

Abolish taxation:-

                Incentives like Tax holiday for the Private Hospitals in difficult rural and tribal areas.

                Government should favourably consider abolishing tax for medicines, Medical equipment, Disposables, Lab equipments, reagents and other materials used for medical and use it will bring down cost of treatment.

Passages of Clinical Establishment Act all over India uniformly:-

1. It will bring down quackery.

2. Hospital facilities will improve.

3. Offending clauses from the CEA must be removed to protect health professionals.

4. All state government should pass Healthcare Protection Act, which will prevent attack against healthcare workers.

Insurance:-

                Doctors and Paramedical staff should compulsorily have Professional Insurance.

                Practising Doctors and all paramedical staffs should have compulsory re-registration every 5 years with minimum 30 credit hour CME conducted by recognized professional body.

Removal of Health profession from Consumer Act:-

                Government should consider setting up Medical Courts instead ofConsumer Courts for trial of alleged medical negligence. Most of the health care professionals are now hesitant to take up risky and complicated procedures due to fear of unnecessary litigation and harassment.

Medical Colleges:-

                Government should setup medical colleges only in the places where medical facilities are lacking. Periodic inspections should be conducted to avoid manipulating staff facilities and number of patients.

                Biometric attendance registers should be made mandatory in all Medical colleges. Government should preferably setup medical colleges in rural area.

Healthcare facilities should be removed from other laws or there should be single window clearing system of government for clearing and renewal of licenses and fees and inspections of hospitals.

Drug License:-

                Bureaucrats with vested interests have given new meanings to various sections in Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 & Rules, 1945 and introduced Drug Licence for private hospitals after 70 years of the enactment with the blessings of the Courts. This issue must be remedied.

Shops & Commercial Establishments Act:-

                Hospitals must be exempted from the provisions of Shops & Commercial Establishment Act enforced by State Governments, as it cannot work like a shop.

VAT registration:-

                Hospitals must be exempted from taking VAT registration for consumables like cotton, gloves, bandage, etc.