siliconindia | | May 20208he word sustainability expresses various meanings like maintain, assistance and endure. The Brundtland Commission in the United Nations explained in detail that sustainable development is development that meets the requirements of the present without compromising the capability of future generations to meet their own requirement. While the economy, society, and ecology have been identified as the three major pillars of sustainability, Health is a subject which should be considered a vital contributor and a base for these three pillars, for without the presence of health, the requirements of the present or future will not be met to get sustainable development. In this time of increasing prevalence of incapacitating illnesses from communicable and non-communicable diseases, food safety matters and impending ecological threats, it might be difficult for us to attain the goal of sustainable development in India from health's point of view.The World Health Report for 2000 ranked India in 112th position among the 191 countries in terms of healthcare system procedures and measures, way lower than the neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Indonesia. An important reason for this is an overburdened and disintegrated system of healthcare in our country. This healthcare system that includes private clinics, nursing homes, medical colleges, government-funded hospitals, and corporate hospitals are presently being sustained in a very unplanned and unorganized manner.Reductions in the budget on healthcare because of the fiscal constraints adds a new dimension to this worsening problem. India spends almost one percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on public health, one of the lowest in the world. The reduction is speculated to derail various ambitious programs which were supposed to be launched.Healthcare is mostly confused with medical care. Medical care is just a part of healthcare and comes into the picture whenever there are changes from health. Healthcare is treating the reasons and not only the impact, where diseases form just the tip of an iceberg. Not only must our healthcare initiatives pay attention to giving medical care, but they must also address the social basis of health. It has been perfectly been said, a healthy society must have less illness and fewer hospitals, and our aim should be to have a healthy society and country. Thus, while spending less on health could be a utopian dream, it might be achieved by proper treatment of existing illness and working simultaneously towards preventive health.It has been seen that in India, the normal government expenditure makes for just 18 percent and the rest 82 percent is private expenditure. Which is an inadequate way to finance health care that leaves people highly exposed?TSUSTAINABILITY OF THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY IN INDIABy Avni Kaul, Founder, NutriActivaniaA gold medalist master's degree science graduate from the University of Delhi, Avni is a Certified Diabetes Educator from Project Hope and the International Diabetes Federation and has worked with eminent fitness centers and hospital chains like MAX.in my opinionAvni Kaul, Founder
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