Edition 20 | April 19, 2023 | |
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Dear Friends,
We are delighted to present to you the next edition of the monthly newsletter by the Lancet Citizens' Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System. This edition discusses teleradiology and technological innovations in radiology and its role in increasing access to primary health care. It further explores the evolution of government-funded health insurance for universal health coverage in India, an analysis of tackling the pandemic’s tricky phase and more.
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Teleradiology and technology innovations in radiology: status in India and its role in increasing access to primary health care
There is an inequitable distribution of radiology facilities in India. This scoping review aimed at mapping the available technology instruments to improve access to imaging at primary health care; to identify the facilitators and barriers, and the knowledge gaps for widespread adaptation of technology solutions, write Anuradha Chandramohan, Viswajit Krothapalli, Ann Augustin, Madhavi Kandagaddala, Hannah Mary Thomas, Thambu David Sudarsanam, Ammar Jagirdar, Shalini Govil, Arjun Kalyanpur.
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Yes to pluralistic health system, but no to homeopathy
Traditional Medicine (TM) can offer pathways to fill in critical therapeutic gaps as well as enhance access to care. Further, TM systems, specifically Ayurveda, deserves research attention and resources for establishing necessary evidence base and such focus will help the Indian health system in the long run, writes Siddhesh Zadey.
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Lessons for Developing Countries From Outlier Country Health Systems
Building good health systems is an important objective for policy makers in any country. Developing countries which are just starting out on their journeys need to do this by using their limited resources in the best way possible. The total health expenditure of a country exerts a significant influence on its health outcomes but, given the well-understood failures of price-based market-mechanisms, countries that spend the most money do not necessarily end-up building the best health systems, writes Nachiket Mor.
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Someone you know has cancer. Should you hide the diagnosis from them?
The Constitution of India gives patients the legal autonomy to make decisions related to their treatment. A doctor who treats a patient without valid consent is criminally liable. However, to the authors’ knowledge, no incident of a doctor being incriminated in this way has been reported thus far in India. In the realm of medical ethics, the doctor bears the responsibility of informing a patient about their diagnosis and providing the necessary support, write Christianez Ratna Kiruba and Parth Sharma.
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Tackling pandemic’s tricky phase
Covid lurks along with influenza strains. Scientists are still looking out for a more virulent Covid variant. But continued caution, not alarm, is warranted, writes Prof K Srinath Reddy.
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Commission Member in Spotlight | | |
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"The challenge of making health a political and electoral issue can be viewed at both national level and at the state level in India. While in the past, national policies and schemes have affected how states dealt with healthcare, this is beginning to change now. Our research shows that regional political parties and politicians have achieved some success in making health an electoral issue, and have arguably changed voter expectations in the process," says Nikhil Iyer, Visiting Senior Public Policy Analyst, The Quantum Hub (TQH) | | | |
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iSPIRT is a not-for-profit think tank, staffed mostly by volunteers from the tech world, who dedicate their time, energy and expertise towards India’s hard problems. iSPIRT is providing research support to the Technology workstream of the Commission. | | | | |
