There is a shortfall of 20% sub-centres, 22% public health centres and 32% community health centres. Clearly, India is struggling to serve its population amid the rising burden of diseases along with poor coverage by public health on the other. With this preference, for private health care services, the out-of-pocket expenditure (OOP) of the beneficiaries has spiked to more than 60%. The excessive reliance on OOP payments leads to financial barriers for the poorest, thereby perpetuating inequalities in health care. Setting up a public-private partnership (PPP) in health may build our path towards universal health coverage as shown by various PPP interventions worldwide.

Source: Hindustan Times June 12, 2019 02:48 UTC