ICDHI – Independent Commission on Development and Health in India

The Commission is currently reviewing the global pandemic of COVID-19 as it has engulfed the whole world with more than 16 million cases spread over 190 countries. While the COVID-19 crisis is first and foremost a health crisis, it has forced governments to take unprecedented measures to protect people’s lives, measures which bear grave and longstanding socio-economic consequences. The impact of COVID-19 is particularly detrimental to the most vulnerable segments, including people living in poverty, elderly, persons with disabilities, youth, women, and indigenous people.

India has to not only deal with the present health crisis but also with the already existing problems of unemployment, low incomes, rural distress, malnutrition, and widespread inequality which is further aggravated. The situation has added to the miseries of the poor, with huge job losses and rising food insecurity. The already stagnating national economy is now contracting and will require multi-pronged efforts to revert to a healthier phase, the foremost of which is an in-depth and honest evaluation of the damage.

The Commission is working to holistically review the current situation and to analyze the various significant course of action nationally and globally. Distinguished domain experts, researchers as well as public health professionals are contributing to this report.

The Commission strongly felt that the findings of NFHS-4, NSSO-2014, SRS, NSSO, Rapid Survey on Children and other recent reports should be utilized comprehensively to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the implementation of the National Health Policy.The purpose of the initiative is to formulate an evidence-based roadmap, which is sustainable, up scalable for successful implementation of National Health Policy. 

In spite of clear recommendations of the Macroeconomic Commission of Health in India and Independent Commission, the health budget more or less remains static. It remains lowest in Asia. This is particularly alarming for developing economy like India. The situation has got further complicated with the implementation of recommendation of 14th Finance Commission. The Commission will try to pull together all the facts to understandthe current allocation for Health at both Centre and States and will continue to do vigorous advocacy for increase in budget allocation for Health Sector. 

The Commission has observed the inconsistencies in information and data being reported by various national healthprogrammes. A considerable amount of data and information is being collected from all over the country at each and every level of health system. The process of data collection demands huge amount of human resources and their time. Often the data collected is unreliable. More importantly, these data are not being effectively utilized as a vigorous management tool to improve the quality of ongoing programmes.The Commission is proposing to work on this issue systematically to provide clear sustainable recommendations to the Ministry for further action. 

The cascading cost for health services in the private health care sector is a matter of considerable concern. The mechanism to assure the quality care being provided by them is missing. This is particularly a serious matter when we observe that in many areas, the private sector is gradually occupying the space usually reserved for public sector. The Commission will look into this whole matter including Clinical Establishment Act. 

Private Sectors are also involved in running private medical colleges. Unfortunately there are so many complaints about the quality of education being provided by them and their criteria for admissions. The Commission will review this situation.