Why focus on Healthcare Inclusion?
India’s rapid growth has brought about a ‘health care transition’ in terms of shifting demographics, socio-economic transformation and changes in disease patterns. Healthcare, which is a INR 1,75,000 crore industry in India, is expected to reach INR 3,75,000 crore by 2012 and INR 7,50,000 crore by 2017. As per a PricewaterhouseCoopers study 'Healthcare in India: Emerging market report 2007', the revenues from the healthcare sector account for 5.2 per cent of the GDP, making it the third largest growth segment in India.

With a growing demand for health care in the coming years, every extra bed per thousand of the population will require an investment of INR 4, 00,000 crores (there are currently 1.5 beds per thousand). Most of this would be required for tier 2/tier 3 cities where bed ratios per thousand are most adverse. With 70% of our populations living in villages, doctor patient ratios are dismal. Unique models would have to be adapted for various issues like population policies, children’s health, healthcare financing, availability of healthcare and inequities in healthcare access still plague the sector.

Health care and IT
IT in most Indian hospitals is still restricted to maintaining accounts, inventory and other periphery items and the amalgamation of the two is a far cry from what exists in other nations. However many Indian hospitals have realized that IT can prove to be a very efficient tool. According to a report by Springboard Research, India has the fastest growing healthcare IT market in Asia, with an expected growth rate of 22 per cent, followed closely by China and Vietnam. In fact, the Indian healthcare technology market is poised to be worth more than INR 11938 million by 2012.

Health care Insurance
77% of spending on healthcare is met out – of – pocket expenditure. Figures point to 10% of the population having some kind of health insurance as part of either voluntary or as part of employees’ state insurance, central government health scheme, and group/community insurance or private. Swiss re estimates a potential of Rs 38,500 crores in health insurance premium by 2015.

Sankalp Awards for Healthcare Inclusion

Enterprises that are meeting inter alia the following needs and issues in this sector are invited to submit nominations for the Sankalp Award:

1. Franchisee model for building scale and processes
2. Telemedicine interventions
3. Healthcare at the door-step
4. SHG models - Strengthening and integrating community healthcare workers into first care point of contact for healthcare
5. Innovative financial products for community healthcare
6. Pharmaceutical interventions and supply chain optimisation
7. Nutritional and preventive measure