Aug 19 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
`More docs, not health centres, save lives'
Himanshi.Dhawan @timesgroup.com
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New Delhi
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Higher No. Of Medics Help Check Crib Deaths: Study
Do hospitals translate to better healthcare? Not necessarily . States with more doctors have better healthcare indices than those with better infrastructure, data analysed by thinktank Swaniti reveals.While better health outcomes depend on multiple reasons, it appears that doctor to population ratio had a far higher impact on infant mortality rate (IMR) or maternal mortality rate (MMR) than better infrastructure.Tamil Nadu that has fewer primary health centers (PHCs), one per lakh of population, as compared to Chhattisgarh and Odisha that have two PHCs is better placed in health outcomes.
Tamil Nadu has one doctor for 789 patients and an infant mortality rate of 21 and maternal mortality of 97.
In sharp comparison, Chhattisgarh has one doctor for 6,221 patients and witnesses 47 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births and 269 maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births. Odisha that has one doctor for 2,500 patients, too, suffers from high infant and mother deaths. It has IMR of 53 and MMR of 258, respectively.
Interestingly , states like Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu alone account for 42% of all medical colleges in India thereby producing most of India's doctors. Not surprisingly , these states also have the best Doctor Population Ratio (DPR).
These states show no shortfall of doctors at PHC level and have already met the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). At least three of the five -Kerala, Goa and Tamil Nadu -have IMR below 21. Incidentally , West Bengal has one of the highest per capita coverage of primary health centres -nine per lakh population.However, it has just one doctor for 1,508 patients and IMR of 32 while its MMR is 145.
In comparison, north Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh have very few medical colleges, a fact which reflects in their DPR.
Unsurprisingly , most states with poor DPR also had a relatively high shortfall of doctors at the PHC lev el. For example a state like Bihar has one doctor for every 2,785 people. This translates to IMR of 43 and a MMR of 261.
When these numbers are viewed against the MDG target of 27 for Infant Mortality Rate in India by 2015, it becomes clear that these states need to act urgently to improve their performance in public health.
“It is important to go beyond merely having doctors and invest in improving the quality of healthcare professionals in India. National Healthcare Policy , another promise by the new government, should hopefully lead to greater public investment in healthcare, and improve the quantity and quality of healthcare in India while reducing regional disparities.
Some of the other factors are efficient utilization of funds, good quality of human resources in healthcare, and finally awareness among people.'' Rwitwika Bhattacharya from Swaniti said.
Tamil Nadu has one doctor for 789 patients and an infant mortality rate of 21 and maternal mortality of 97.
In sharp comparison, Chhattisgarh has one doctor for 6,221 patients and witnesses 47 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births and 269 maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births. Odisha that has one doctor for 2,500 patients, too, suffers from high infant and mother deaths. It has IMR of 53 and MMR of 258, respectively.
Interestingly , states like Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu alone account for 42% of all medical colleges in India thereby producing most of India's doctors. Not surprisingly , these states also have the best Doctor Population Ratio (DPR).
These states show no shortfall of doctors at PHC level and have already met the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). At least three of the five -Kerala, Goa and Tamil Nadu -have IMR below 21. Incidentally , West Bengal has one of the highest per capita coverage of primary health centres -nine per lakh population.However, it has just one doctor for 1,508 patients and IMR of 32 while its MMR is 145.
In comparison, north Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh have very few medical colleges, a fact which reflects in their DPR.
Unsurprisingly , most states with poor DPR also had a relatively high shortfall of doctors at the PHC lev el. For example a state like Bihar has one doctor for every 2,785 people. This translates to IMR of 43 and a MMR of 261.
When these numbers are viewed against the MDG target of 27 for Infant Mortality Rate in India by 2015, it becomes clear that these states need to act urgently to improve their performance in public health.
“It is important to go beyond merely having doctors and invest in improving the quality of healthcare professionals in India. National Healthcare Policy , another promise by the new government, should hopefully lead to greater public investment in healthcare, and improve the quantity and quality of healthcare in India while reducing regional disparities.
Some of the other factors are efficient utilization of funds, good quality of human resources in healthcare, and finally awareness among people.'' Rwitwika Bhattacharya from Swaniti said.
