HealthCheck

28/05/2024

As India continues to invest in the Ayushman Bharat scheme, aiming to alleviate healthcare costs for millions, challenges in implementation persist. The need for quality regulation and improved public healthcare infrastructure is evident to ensure the programme's success. Our ground report: https://www.health-check.in/health-finance-governance/jharkhand-familys-tragic-loss-highlights-flaws-in-ayushman-bharat-scheme-909386

27/05/2024

A father's struggle through Jharkhand's healthcare maze ends in tragedy, exposing gaps in the scheme. Despite the promise of Rs 5 lakh cover, Rudolf Kujur's newborn son couldn't get the timely care needed, as the father ran from hospital to hospital. Our ground report on the challenges in the scheme’s implementation, and what the government needs to do to prevent cases like Kujur’s. https://www.health-check.in/health-finance-governance/jharkhand-familys-tragic-loss-highlights-flaws-in-ayushman-bharat-scheme-909386

27/05/2024

The government called the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) the world’s largest healthcare insurance scheme when it was launched in 2018. The scheme provides an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh for 120 million families from poor and marginalised sections. Despite a higher budget over the years, there are several challenges in the programme including the lack of accountability of private hospitals, denying treatment and charging when treatment should be free. We report on what the government needs to do to improve the scheme. https://www.health-check.in/health-finance-governance/jharkhand-familys-tragic-loss-highlights-flaws-in-ayushman-bharat-scheme-909386

21/05/2024

ASHA worker Suvarna Kamble's story is one of resilience and commitment. Working tirelessly in Palghar, she provides critical healthcare support, often at her own expense, in a system that lacks adequate facilities and fair compensation. https://www.health-check.in/health/fifteen-years-after-launch-ashas-struggle-with-healthcare-gaps-908554

21/05/2024

Read our story from Palghar in Maharashtra, where ASHAs work with limited resources to combat malnutrition, infectious diseases and apathetic healthcare services.

Women who work as ASHAs are still considered volunteers and not paid salaries, even as the healthcare needs of the communities they serve increase

20/05/2024

For her role as the link between the healthcare system and the community, she is paid an honorarium, not a salary, because she is not a full time worker. This honorarium amounts to Rs 5,500, not including incentives. The incentives themselves are paid only if she can prove that she did indeed do the task. Her compensation does not take into account all the times she goes above and beyond her duty to help someone in need of care. The only solution is to pay them as full time government employees, said experts.

Women who work as ASHAs are still considered volunteers and not paid salaries, even as the healthcare needs of the communities they serve increase

20/05/2024

Officially, ASHAs like Suvarna Kamble from Palghar in Maharashtra work for four hours a day three days a week. However, her supervisor, the auxiliary nurse midwife, needs her to be a phone call away at all times. She is required to check on the women and children in her community, administer basic medicines, counsel people on the importance of nutrition, bring children for immunisation, etc. https://www.health-check.in/health/fifteen-years-after-launch-ashas-struggle-with-healthcare-gaps-908554

16/05/2024

Assam's Barak Valley, home to around 60,000 permanent and 50,000 casual tea plantation labourers, is striving to enhance healthcare for its workforce. Initiatives like the private-public partnerships with Tea Garden Hospitals provide essential services, yet the lack of specialised doctors and adequate facilities persists. Maternal health and access to tertiary care remain significant challenges, highlighting the need for continued investment in the region's healthcare infrastructure.

The tea estates in Assam’s Barak Valley employ around 60,000 permanent and 50,000 casual labourers, many of whom find it hard to access healthcare facilities.

15/05/2024

Forty-six-year-old Manju Bhar, a seasonal plucker and cleaner at Rosekandy, a tea estate in Assam, tends to her family as her husband lost most of his eyesight and hearing after working in the garden. She started experiencing persistent gastric and stomach aches in January, which led her to a private clinic a few kilometres away in Natun-Bazar, where a sonogram cost her Rs 3,000. We report on the health issues plaguing workers in Assam’s tea estates and the lack of access to healthcare:

The tea estates in Assam’s Barak Valley employ around 60,000 permanent and 50,000 casual labourers, many of whom find it hard to access healthcare facilities.

20/01/2024

“She has tried to hurt herself a few times. I cannot step out without worrying due to her condition,,” said Farook, a Rohingya refugee whose wife is diagnosed with depressive disorder with dissociative symptoms. Due to her condition he is unable to work regularly. Although they find basic support from NGOs and UNHCR, it is difficult, he said. Are , who fled violence in neighbouring Myanmar, able to access and psychosocial support? https://www.health-check.in/health/the-toll-of-refugee-life-on-rohingya-mental-health-890235

20/01/2024

“I feel ashamed and sad, and ask God why I have to do this work? My parents want to see me as a professional,” said Haris, 17, a Rohingya refugee who has quit school and is forced to pick waste to support his family. His mother Farha, who is sad at her son’s plight, wants him to study and get a job, but “we cannot starve,” she said. IndiaSpend met Rohingya refugees in Bengaluru, Delhi and Nuh, who are coping with uncertainties and trauma. How has this impacted their mental health? Read the 2nd part of our series on access for in India https://www.health-check.in/health/the-toll-of-refugee-life-on-rohingya-mental-health-890235

19/01/2024

In 2020, more than 41,000 Indians died of caused by alcohol consumption, new study shows. About 1% of women and 23% of men consume alcohol in India. Of these, about a sixth drink almost every day. Read on:

To***co smoking and HPV infections caused the highest number of preventable cancer deaths

18/01/2024

In 2020, more than 110,000 Indians died of caused by to***co smoking, new study shows. Across the country, 39% men, 4% women continue to use to***co, and India is home to the largest population of people who chew to***co across the globe--not analysed in the study. Our story:

To***co smoking and HPV infections caused the highest number of preventable cancer deaths

18/01/2024

In 2020, over 225,000 Indians died of cancer from four preventable risk factors--to***co smoking, alcohol consumption, excess body weight and HPV infections, a new study across seven countries finds. India had the second highest number of such deaths, behind only China. Our story:

To***co smoking and HPV infections caused the highest number of preventable cancer deaths

27/12/2023

In addition to these and social conflicts such as that in Manipur, climate change and its effect on health added to the challenges facing Indian healthcare. To address the gaps in supply, a cadre of health professionals trained in alternative medicine systems work as doctors in rural health centres, even as India hosted a WHO summit extolling the benefits of alternative systems of medicine. Drug manufacturers, who came under scrutiny for supplying contaminated and spurious drugs, may have to deal with an amended patent law that makes it harder for them to make affordable drugs for cancer and TB.

Read about the developments in health in post-Covid India: https://www.health-check.in/health/in-2023-lifestyle-diseases-tb-climate-change-posed-challenges-to-indians-health-887111

26/12/2023

Covid shone a light on the gaps in India’s public and private healthcare. With the pandemic out of the way in 2023, hospitals were back to dealing with diseases they were accustomed to and patients who were unable to pay for treatment for these diseases. Malnutrition continued to plague India, and its extent continued to be disputed by the authorities. India had the highest number of TB cases in the world in 2023. Read our year-end wrap-up: https://www.health-check.in/health/in-2023-lifestyle-diseases-tb-climate-change-posed-challenges-to-indians-health-887111

19/12/2023

The WHO’s 90-70-90 Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy Target for 2030 mandates vaccinating 90% of girls with the HPV vaccine, screening 70% of women with a high-performance cervical cancer test, and treating 90% women with cervical cancer. In India, low awareness and the social stigma associated with the disease adversely impact the uptake of screening and treatment.

Creating awareness about cervical cancer, rolling out an HPV vaccine programme and improving access to treatment would help reduce deaths from the disease

19/12/2023

A new study in the Lancet showed a wide variation in cervical cancer survival in 11 centres across India. The five-year age standardised relative survival rate was 61.5% in Ahmedabad urban, but dropped to 31.6% in Tripura. Lead author Prashant Mathur, director, National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Indian Council of Medical Research pointed out to IndiaSpend that earlier studies have shown inadequate screening rates for cervical cancer. More extensive screening would improve the cure rates of the disease. We report:

Creating awareness about cervical cancer, rolling out an HPV vaccine programme and improving access to treatment would help reduce deaths from the disease

04/12/2023

Nearly 80% of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre’s patients are daily wage workers, agricultural and tea garden labourers. Besides, the hospital also treats patients from the neighbouring northeastern states of Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and even the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Administered by a small charitable society known as the Cachar Cancer Hospital Society, the hospital has made cancer care accessible for the socially and economically marginalised.

Oncologist Ravi Kannan, one of the winners of the Ramon Magsaysay award in 2023, spearheads efforts at the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre to provide treatment for patients who cannot...

04/12/2023

Lifestyle diseases, which often need specialist care, now account for 2 in 3 deaths in India. Yet, India continues to face a shortage of specialist doctors, despite a doubling of PG medical seats since 2015-16. “Low-demand PG seats (such as pre-clinical/non-clinical fields) may remain unfilled, while high-demand seats remain inadequate," says Khushboo Balani, author of a new study by the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, a New-Delhi based think-tank. Prachi Salve writes:

04/12/2023

India’s medical colleges have significant faculty shortages, data show. The opportunity cost of teaching vs practising is a fundamental problem, and needs innovative solutions for incentives to teach, experts say. Our story:

04/12/2023

India’s northeast reports a higher cancer burden than its national average. Over the years, while treatment facilities are improving specifically in Assam state, patients are still forced to travel long distances for care. To deal with this scenario, about 16 years ago, oncologist Dr Ravi Kannan left Chennai to lead efforts at the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Silchar town of Assam. The hospital is proving to be a blessing for those who cannot afford to travel to big-city hospitals. Read how the hospital is trying to make cancer treatment accessible to the vulnerable:

Oncologist Ravi Kannan, one of the winners of the Ramon Magsaysay award in 2023, spearheads efforts at the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre to provide treatment for patients who cannot...

04/12/2023

In 6 years, India added 47% more medical colleges, leading to a total 704 by 2023-24. Medical seats also rose 61% to 107,950. Yet, faculty shortages, infrastructural issues continue, according to a new study by the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, a New Delhi-based think-tank. Our story: https://www.health-check.in/health-finance-governance/why-adding-medical-colleges-isnt-enough-to-improve-indias-healthcare-883784

02/12/2023

Indian children who were under the age of one between the years 2013-22 experienced 43% more heatwave days annually as compared to children in the same age group from 1986-2005. Similarly, adults over the age of 65 saw a 216% increase across the same timeframe. Significantly, at more than 250,000, India has the highest number of preterm births in the world, according to a WHO report. Climate change is one of the causes of preterm birth, which is the leading cause of death among children under the age of 5. Our story, ahead of at

Heat-related deaths in people aged over 65 rose 85% globally in 2013-22 compared to 1991-2000. Climate change-induced weather changes are affecting human health right from conception to old age....

02/12/2023

The global climate change conference under way in Dubai is set to observe a day dedicated to health for the first time. World leaders will see the announcement of new health-climate finance and discuss proactive risk management for disasters, clean air solutions, water security, mental health and many other subjects. How much does climate change impact your daily health and why does this day matter? Read here:

Heat-related deaths in people aged over 65 rose 85% globally in 2013-22 compared to 1991-2000. Climate change-induced weather changes are affecting human health right from conception to old age....

17/10/2023

Providing healthcare for an ageing population “is tricky for any country because as people age, they have multiple chronic conditions that require intensive interaction with both the medical care and the healthcare system”, says Professor Rama V. Baru, professor and researcher at the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. There are lessons from Southeast Asian countries which have seen this demographic shift: increase preventive screening for lifestyle diseases, bolster primary care to reduce stress on hospitals. Our interview:

The needs of a rapidly ageing population cannot be met through welfarist targeted healthcare schemes dependent on the private sector, says community healthcare researcher and professor Rama V. Baru

17/10/2023

By 2050, one in five Indians will be over the age of 60. India’s primary health system, attuned to infectious disease control and reproductive and child health, will need investments to cater to the country’s ageing population. This is complicated because of an underfunded public health system, high levels of comorbidities in the population, and changing lifestyles. We speak with Professor Rama V. Baru, professor and researcher at the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi to find out what needs to be done for this urgently: https://www.health-check.in/indiaspend-interviews/ageing-india-needs-better-primary-care-universal-health-coverage-878955

The needs of a rapidly ageing population cannot be met through welfarist targeted healthcare schemes dependent on the private sector, says community healthcare researcher and professor Rama V. Baru

12/10/2023

In March 2023, a year after starting to implement differentiated TB care, Tamil Nadu met the 90-90-90-7 target, that is, at least 90% of adults with TB diagnosed from public hospitals should be triaged, at least 90% triage-positive must be comprehensively assessed and confirmed as severely ill in the nodal inpatient facility and at least 90% of confirmed severely ill patients should be admitted for at least median seven days. Read on to know how this achievement impacted mortality in the state: https://www.health-check.in/health/why-india-must-differentiate-between-normal-and-high-risk-tb-patients-878343

11/10/2023

In July 2023, Ramesh, a 62-year-old farmer from Karur, Tamil Nadu, approached a government-run primary health centre for treatment for his cold, cough and extreme tiredness. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the lungs. Post-diagnosis, on examination by a medical officer, Ramesh scored positive on sufficient parameters on a tuberculosis severity triaging form to justify referral to the nearest government hospital for a deeper evaluation. This triaging, Ramesh says, is one of the reasons that he is alive today. A week’s stay in the hospital helped get his diabetes in check and bring back his appetite. Close to two months later he had gained 2kg and was feeling much better. This is part of Tamil Nadu Kasanoi Erappila Thittam (TN-KET, meaning TB death-free project in Tamil), India’s first such programme. Charu Bahri reports on why India needs such differentiated care, and how it can implement these programmes: https://www.health-check.in/health/why-india-must-differentiate-between-normal-and-high-risk-tb-patients-878343

09/10/2023

Ayushman Bharat completed five years on September 25 this year. Envisioned as a means of protecting against the financial implications of illnesses, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana aims to provide a cover of Rs 5 lakh every year to households who fall under the “deprived” category as per the socio-economic caste census data from 2011. Health and Wellness Centres aim to provide primary healthcare.

But the Comptroller and Auditor General has highlighted a number of irregularities in the provisioning of care by hospitals, as well as highlighting that there were too few hospitals for beneficiaries. Read our to know more: https://www.health-check.in/health-finance-governance/three-charts-on-ayushman-bharats-achievements-and-shortfalls-878075