All That Glitters Is Not Gold: The Indian Healthcare System

Abstract

Healthcare is the most essential requirement for a better quality of life. Governments throughout the world ensure the establishment of improved healthcare systems that are on par with global healthcare systems for people, irrespective of their socioeconomic situation. It is crucial to understand the status of healthcare establishments existing in a country. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed an imminent challenge concerning the quality of healthcare in various countries throughout the world. There were different types of problems faced by most nations irrespective of their socioeconomic status and financial capabilities. India also struggled to cope with the initial times of the COVID-19 pandemic wherein the hospitals were overwhelmed with patients and limited infrastructural capabilities, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. The greatest achievement of the Indian healthcare system was to increase access to healthcare by encouraging private players and boosting public-private partnerships to deliver better healthcare to people. Moreover, the Indian government ensured healthcare access to people from rural areas by establishing teaching hospitals. However, the major drawback in the Indian healthcare system appears to be illiteracy among people and exploitation by healthcare stakeholders that include physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, and capitalists, including hospital management and pharmaceutical industries. Nevertheless, like two sides to a coin, the Indian healthcare system has both pros and cons. The limitations in the healthcare system need to be addressed to improve the quality of healthcare provided to people in general and especially during disease outbreaks similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.