11/07/2025
Voice for Policy Change | Dr. Md. Farukuddin Purkaite (MBBS, MD, Dip. Card) Director, AshSheefa Hospital
To transform the Healthcare
➤ Introduce a Comprehensive Universal Insurance Scheme: India’s public healthcare system, reliant on schemes like Swasthya Sathi and Ayushman Bharat, faces critical gaps in coverage. Many diseases, especially chronic and rare conditions, are excluded, and the schemes often limit multiple uses or fail to address diverse healthcare needs.
➤ Today, annual mobile recharge costs about ₹3,600. A Government Insurance/ Mediclaim using a similar amount as premium could fund 100% high quality health services, making healthcare accessible to every citizen while leveraging India’s large population.
➤ Current government schemes focus on community-based coverage, often overlooking the specific needs of individuals and families. With India’s aging population growing rapidly due to effective birth control measures, there is a rising prevalence of chronic and critical conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, carcinoma, paralysis, and rare diseases. These require prolonged, specialized care (6 months to 1 year or more). Introducing individual or family-centric mediclaim policies alongside community schemes would provide tailored solutions, ensuring critical and long-term care for vulnerable groups.
➤ Organise nationwide awareness campaign to educate about these programs, their eligibility criteria, and application processes is crucial.
fans
