Healthcare is the maintenance of health through the prevention and diagnosis of diseases and illness and other physical and mental imbalances in human beings. It is delivered through various healthcare professionals such as physicians, surgeons, nurses, midwifes, dentists, etc. It is done through primary healthcare, secondary healthcare, and tertiary healthcare.
Healthcare, health and development are closely related with each other, directly or indirectly. Access to healthcare varies across the country, states, and individuals, and is influenced by government healthcare policies. Healthcare organisation in a country is established to solve the health needs of population. It is the prevention of diseases or any other illness in human beings. Every country maintains some basic healthcare infrastructure to attain a comfortable quality of life. Health standard of a nation depends on how a country caters to the health demands of its people. The more efficient healthcare system a country has, the more influential would be the healthcare services in the country. In some countries healthcare is run by market participants whereas in some countries it is distributed among central government and state government.
Healthcare in India is a state subject as the Constitution divides the powers between the centre and its states. However, due to underfunding of public healthcare system in India, private healthcare sector is the main healthcare provider. Thus, most of healthcare expenditure is out-of-pocket expenditure which increases the catastrophic health expenditure of a family. This has caused threats to many families to maintain the basic standard of life. In a country like India, where below poverty line (BPL) population is more compared to rich population.
Public healthcare services are very necessary to attain the standard level of health. With public expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP falling continuously and rise of private healthcare expenses, the poor are left in the worse condition to access healthcare services. Unavailability of healthcare to the poor has left them in the grip of illness and low quality of life.
Health is the state of complete wellbeing and freedom from any physical or mental health problem. Good health increases the productivity and efficiency of human beings which in turn help in to uplift their standard of living on one side and overall development on the other. Healthcare and development have a two-way relationship. Healthcare results in formation of productive human capital and therefore, has an intrinsic value.
Development creates higher per capita income, better standard of living, advanced medical care, improved diet pattern and nutrition which cause better health outcomes. Healthcare improves health level of children that ensures fewer dropouts from school. Healthcare and health have a long-lasting effect on economic development. Good healthcare ensures long life expectancy, higher earning capacity, higher employment level, greater purchasing power and saving capacity.
A highly advanced level of healthcare will make sure a continuous supply of productive and efficient human capital which plays a very crucial role in the production process. Economic development is a function of capital, labour and natural resources. Out of these factors productive and efficient labour force is the most detrimental factor of the production process and ultimately development level of a country. Thus, higher level of health is very necessary for the development of a society and country as well.
[The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Poona College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Camp, Pune, Maharashtra, India.]