There is need for a complete overhaul as far as public healthcare facilities in Delhi are concerned. The problem here is that on one hand, there is a shortage of doctors, nurses and other public healthcare professionals and on the other, when they are available, the facilities are not up to the mark.
In most clinics and hospitals, no work is done after 4 pm and many healthcare workers are perennially on leave. Thus, the public health facilities are just not cost-effective for the government after taking into consideration the salary and money required to maintain the infrastructure.
What the capital city needs is a public-private partnership model for its public health facilities.
I am aware that the Delhi government has unveiled a five-tier health infrastructure and the first step in this is setting up of 1,000 mohalla clinics.
But unfortunately like everything, this largely remains on paper and as of now, only one such clinic has been set up. The model which should be followed by the government should include providing only some state of the art heath care facilities, while the others should provide basic facilities to people.
Apart from this, drugs and basic investigations should be made free. The government should begin the policy of providing free health insurance of up to `1 lakh, as soon as possible.
The writer is the honorary secretary general of the Indian Medical Association