Repositioning the General Practitioner

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India could account for 79.4 million diabetics, almost 22% of the worldwide diabetic population by 2030.1 Add to this the rising incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease and it is clear that India's healthcare system needs a strategy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic and political weekly 2013-06
Main Author: Verma, Shwetank
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic illnesses
Diabetes
Family medicine
Health care delivery
Health care policy
Hypertension
Incentives
Lifestyles
Monetary incentives
National health insurance
Patient satisfaction
Physicians
Physicians (General practice)
Primary care
Public health
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Summary:According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India could account for 79.4 million diabetics, almost 22% of the worldwide diabetic population by 2030.1 Add to this the rising incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease and it is clear that India's healthcare system needs a strategy to cope with the coming epidemic of lifestyle diseases. [...]the market has not provided any incentives for the development of a robust, primary health care delivery system. The High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Universal Health Coverage for India, set up by the Planning Commission, in its report has stressed the importance of patient management and gatekeeping functions of primary care doctors. Only practising primary care doctors with a minimum Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) or Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree would be eligible to enrol, and much like the study courses for financial qualifications such as those of a chartered accountant or certified financial advisor, the CFP course would have a large "practical" component to be completed by the doctor over a period of two years, while she continues with her practice.
ISSN:0012-9976