It’s the summer and we’re all getting our fair share of sun (and getting darker in the process!). Inspite of the record temperatures (and probably because of it), the world deficiency of Vitamin D, usually derived from exposure to sunlight. There is another serious deficiency that all of us, especially from India, are suffering from – Vitamin D – D for Doctor.

The healthcare system in India is growing at a very fast pace due to the advancements in technology, yet there are certain deficiencies that one cannot ignore. There is a vast difference in the health care centers between the rural and the urban areas as well as the private and government hospitals.

A majority of the population who still live in rural areas would prefer government hospitals over private hospitals due to the high costs in the latter. When you think of the services, one would feel that private hospitals are far better equipped than the government hospitals.

Government has taken several steps towards fulfilling the needs of the people’s health care in our country, one of which is the National Mental Health Program instilled by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Government has noticed the importance of quality health care thereby leading to the introduction of a series of five-year plans making health care a priority. It is necessary for the Government to take more initiatives towards the betterment of healthcare services in our country. According to statistics, 20% of all maternal deaths, 25% of all child deaths happen due to lack of efficiency in the public health care systems in our country. 69 out of 1000 children die by the time they attain the age of 5. 58% of Indians are immunized in urban areas when compared to only 39% in rural areas. Communicable diseases are the cause of death for 53% of all deaths in India.

Public or Private – That, is the question.

There is a vast difference between the private and public health care centers in India. When it comes to having better facilities, private hospitals always top the list. This is due to the fact that public health care centers face a range of problems when it comes to having better equipment’s or even finding physicians for that matter. The poorest states in our country, like Bihar, have less access to quality health care and medical specialists when compared to the other states that are better-off. India is also a popular destination for medical tourists, especially for the ones who are looking for Ayurveda and Herbal treatments. Although the cost of treatment in private hospitals is a lot more than expected. Consulting a local doctor for minor health issues would help in cutting down the costs.

Lacking the minimum requirement

People end up travelling miles to get proper medication facilities but in vain. We can see a lot of this happening in rural areas where there is no proper means of transport. The main drawback is the location of these hospitals in the rural areas. They are out of reach for the patients. The situation worsens when the patient is too critical. The lack of ambulance services in these rural areas makes the condition more worse. A lot of running happens for nothing. They do not get the kind of treatment that is required at that point of time. The rural people become helpless as they cannot afford to pay hefty prices in these private hospitals which surely offer better facilities and treatment.

Requirement of Doctors

According to certain data, India is short of nearly 5,00,000 doctors. This shows that the number of people taking up MBBS courses is reducing. This may be due to the costly fee structure required to pay for a five year degree course. Up to 55,000 doctors graduate every year from private colleges, many of which charge illegal donations. It can easily cost you around 2 crores to get a MBBS degree. The doctor patient population ratio is 1; 1674 which is worse than many of the other countries. The Government is shocked with the fact that India, especially the rural areas do not have sufficient doctors. On a whole, India does not have the required number of MBBS seats. Though the number of medical colleges has increased to a large extent comparatively, the country still faces a shortage of doctors. This is due to the fact that, a majority of them leave the country and go elsewhere to either study further or practice their profession. Of those who stay in the country, prefer working in private hospitals/cities rather than rural areas/government hospitals simply because they enjoy a good amount of pay and benefits. Being a doctor means being available 24/7*365. It is very essential to ensure if these doctors have actually pursued their degree, as a lot of hospitals have doctors who have hardly studied anything.

Vitamin D Online?

The advancements in the technology have made the doctor’s work much easier. The internet is here to stay in healthcare as well. We can say it has created a sensation in the field of health care. It has taken the doctor-patient relationship to the next level. It has ensured an easier access to the specialists during the most critical situations. There is even a possibility to get the medical advice online just through the click of a button. The internet has made it possible to seek the services of the specialists virtually. One such platform is the 5C Network that provides teleradiology services at the earliest. We act as a catalyst between the hospitals/diagnostic centers and the radiologists. 5C has delivered quality medical diagnosis to over 1, 50,000 patients all over the country. There is a definite need to encourage any such online portals that provide medical services at the earliest. These portals are easily accessible. We must not fail to notice the amount of time that is saved by these online services. End of the day, the patient’s life is saved.