“If we lose money, we have lost nothing, but if we lose health, we have certainly lost something.” This proverb tells us that health is the most important aspect of our life and it should not be compromised at any cost. Can do. It is also said that a healthy mind resides only in a healthy body. However, the COVID pandemic exposed our health awareness and preparedness. And man also started yearning for the oxygen provided by nature and the circumstances began to seem so dire that the very existence of the entire human species seemed to be in danger. Well, through hard work and tireless efforts, this disaster was somehow controlled but it left such scars on the hearts and minds of humans and governments that will remind them of the importance of health for many decades to come. With this, governments and humans will never be able to make the mistake of taking health lightly. The point of giving all this context is only to tell what is the state of health in modern times in India, the land of Ayurvedic sages like Sushruta, Charaka and Vagbhata and the land of generic pharmacy. In this light, we will discuss various aspects of the National Health Policy released in 2017 and know how many steps we have taken towards the objectives of this policy.
The National Health Policy (NHP) is a document published from time to time by the Government of India that sets the development and direction of the health care system in the country. Its objective is to ensure affordable, accessible and quality healthcare to all citizens.
Major Principles of National Health Policy
Following are the basic principles of the National Health Policy 2017.
- Professionalism and Ethics: The National Health Policy is committed to integrity, the highest professional standards and ethics. It integrates these functions into healthcare delivery services while maintaining transparency and a sustainable environment.
- Equality: The policy aims to reduce inequality and inequality based on caste, gender, disability, poverty and other forms of social exclusion. It also includes providing financial security to poor and disadvantaged patients.
- Affordability: The policy aims to make health services and medicine affordable. Its purpose is to prevent inequality in social, economic or current health status.
- Quality of Care: This initiative provides privacy in the form of safe, gender-sensitive and convenient health services. It aims to address corruption in both private and public healthcare systems.
- Collaboration: It follows a multistakeholder approach by collaborating with health ministries and communities. Various educational institutions and non-profit agencies also participate in this initiative.
- Pluralism: Beneficiaries will enjoy AYUSH and community-based health facilities.
What are the objectives of the National Health Policy?
The latest National Health Policy 2017 sets the following main goals:
- Increase Public Health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP
- Strengthening Primary Health Care
- Eradication of Infectious Diseases
- Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
- Improvement in Maternal and Child Health
- Improving Access to Medicines and Medical Equipment
- Expansion of Health Insurance into Health Services
- Strengthening Human Resources in Health Services
Importance of National Health Policy
The National Health Policy 2017 contains several important initiatives, including:
- Ayushman Bharat Yojana: This scheme provides annual health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh to poor and disadvantaged families.
- Jan Aushadhi Yojana: This scheme ensures the availability of affordable generic medicines.
- Mission Indradhanush: This mission provides access to all vaccines to children.
- Swachh Bharat Mission: This mission promotes cleanliness and hygiene, which is important in preventing many health problems.
- The responsibility of implementing the National Health Policy rests with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The implementation of the policy is monitored by the National Health Mission (NHM).
The National Health Policy is an important document to improve the healthcare system in India. Achieving the goals of the policy will require strong political will, adequate funding and effective implementation.
Also Read:
- World Malaria Day 2024: Overview, History and Key Facts
- National Medical Commission (NMC): About, History & Mission
