Emergency care in India beyond 75 years of independence – problems and solutions

Abstract

On August 15, 2022, India celebrated 75 years of independence. Over the past 75 years, India has focussed on its scientific progress, including health care, leading to Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY), the world’s most ambitious national program for universal health coverage [1]. This initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) globally by 2030. In other words, delivering high-quality health services to everyone such that people across the globe receive promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, or palliative care, as required, without experiencing monetary adversities [2]. Vital Universal Health Care stands on three pillars: primary care, emergency care (EC), and definitive care, including secondary and tertiary level care (Figure 1).