Jan Swasthya Abhiyan on Friday called for a national public debate on the proposed universal health care system, saying that such an important issue cannot be rushed through and its various strands need to be understood, discussed and commented upon widely by the people.
“Definition of a clear, transparent and time-bound road map for strengthening and expanding the public health system while improving its functioning and accountability; this must include allocation of adequate, and enhanced budgets,” a JSA statement said.
The statement issued after a two-day meeting of the nation working group meeting to discuss the High Level Expert Group’s report on Universal Healthcare Coverage said enactment of adequate law guaranteeing the right to health, including National and State Health Acts, which would lay down the framework for regulation of the health system, particularly relevant for private medical providers.Providing entitlements must be accompanied by a clear framework for accountability and grievance redressal.
While developing and operationalising the universal health care system, highest priority must be given to significant expansion and improvement of public health services. Regulated private providers should not be competing with public providers for common resources, rather they may be in-sourced to provide services, but never as a substitute to the public sector, it said.
Ensuring forums for participation of community members, community-based groups and civil society organisations along with elected representatives and public health functionaries at various levels, for planning, monitoring and reviewing the functioning of the universal health care system should be included in the framework.
Organising a process of mapping and estimating the pattern of health care services required in each district and within each district in areas with special needs must be ensured.
This process must be transparent and widely discussed by people in each district, the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan said.
“We must be aware that the direction of developing universal health care in India must be towards strengthening the public health system and socialisation of health care, rather than promoting further expansion of unregulated, profit-oriented medical care. Hence a national debate is essential and there should be no haste in rolling out these concepts – even the looming large of the General elections should not become an excuse for the government to short circuit and distort the concept of Universal Health Care for narrow political gains,” it said.