The Tamil Nadu public health model has proven to be effective in terms of improving healthcare results while preserving equity in healthcare delivery. However, the shift in healthcare funding to insurance firms has had both positive and negative consequences for the public healthcare system.
The main characteristics of the Tamil Nadu public health approach
- Primary Medical Care: The Tamil Nadu public health model places a strong focus on primary healthcare, which serves as the patient’s first point of contact when seeking medical treatment. Primary healthcare centres provide fundamental healthcare services as well as preventive care, which are important in reducing disease burden.
- The state has a well-established public health infrastructure, which includes a network of basic healthcare centers, secondary and tertiary care hospitals, and medical colleges. The state government has also made investments in health infrastructure, such as sanitation, water supply, and waste control.
- Health Insurance: The Tamil Nadu government has implemented a comprehensive health insurance plan known as the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance plan (CMCHIS), which offers free healthcare services to low-income families and individuals.
- Human Resource Development: The state administration has also prioritised the development of human resources in the healthcare sector. It has established a significant number of nursing and paramedical institutions to train healthcare workers.
- Health Education: The Tamil Nadu government has started a number of health education campaigns to educate people about health issues such as communicable and noncommunicable diseases. In addition, the government has started campaigns to promote healthy lifestyle choices such as a well-balanced diet and regular exercise.
- Collaboration with NGOs: To implement different health programs, the government has collaborated with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These collaborations have aided in the efficient delivery of healthcare services in the state’s remote and rural areas.
- Tamil Nadu has implemented several innovative healthcare approaches, such as telemedicine, which allows patients to receive medical consultation and treatment online via technology. In addition, the state has created mobile clinics to provide healthcare to people living in remote areas.
The Advantages of Decentralization
- Access to healthcare is improved: Decentralization can help to improve access to healthcare services, especially in rural or remote regions. Services can be tailored to suit the specific requirements of the population by empowering local communities and healthcare providers to make decisions about healthcare delivery.
- Better care: Decentralization can lead to better care by allowing healthcare providers to react to their patients’ needs more quickly and effectively. It can also encourage healthcare delivery innovation and experimentation, leading to new and better approaches to patient care.
- Increased accountability: By empowering local communities and healthcare providers to monitor and assess the quality of care, decentralisation can improve accountability in healthcare delivery. This can help to spot and address problems in healthcare delivery, resulting in better patient outcomes.
- Cost savings: By reducing the administrative costs associated with centralised decision-making and administration, decentralisation can lead to cost savings in healthcare delivery. It can also improve healthcare distribution efficiency, resulting in less waste and duplication of services.
Healthcare Insurance Funding
- The use of insurance mechanisms to support healthcare services is referred to as insurance funding in healthcare. This entails collecting financial resources from people or groups and pooling them through insurance schemes, which are then used to pay for healthcare services.
- Insurance funding can help to reduce the financial risks connected with healthcare and ensure that people have access to the treatment they require without incurring excessive costs.
Cons of Insurance Funding
- The emphasis on indemnity and negotiations with insurance companies has moved hospitals’ focus from patient care to claiming money.
- Service excellence has been compromised: The appointment of contractual workers with low pay has produced a chasm between permanent high-paid staff and temporary low-paid staff, resulting in a compromise in service quality.
@the end
While insurance funding has provided benefits, it has also produced challenges, such as a loss of compassion among health-care providers and a shift of funds from public to private hospitals. To ensure the success of Tamil Nadu’s public healthcare system, a balance must be struck between decentralization, insurance financing, and the basic principles of equity, compassion, and excellence in care.
Source: https://www.oecd.org/health/Public-funding-of-health-care-Brief-2020.pdf