Health Policy To Be Out For Debate Today The health policy prepared by a panel of experts has recommended a complete reorganization of the government health system by introducing primary care providers along the lines of the family physician concept. The policy, which would be released for public debate on Saturday, points out the inadequacy of the presentday primary health care system to respond to certain challenges such as non-communicable diseases, mental health issues and geriatric care. “The government health services currently functions as a conglomeration of stand-alone institutions. The government will aim to link them in a networked care system with the primary care team providing initial care and assisting individuals in navigating through different levels of health system. This calls for higher level of organization and management,’’ says the health policy. The state will develop a cadre of primary care providers such as general practitioners or family physicians. The primary care team will be trained to function as a general practice team dealing with a smaller population. A post graduate course on primary care with an aim to produce qualified doctors for primary care will be introduced in the medical education. The primary care team will be trained to provide basic services themselves and to refer to appropriate levels when specialist care is needed. Referral protocols and systems will regulate their interaction with secondary and tertiary levels of health system. The policy also moots reworking of staffing pattern of primary health centres. Three teams of a doctor and a nurse managing a population of 10,000 each will be the new criteria. Taluk headquarters hospitals should have an average bed strength of 300 for providing secondary care. It will have such supporting services as emergency care, laboratory, blood bank, dialysis units, physiotherapy and rehabilitation and de-addiction centres. The health policy prepared by a 20-member expert panel says, “the absence of a dedicated public health cadre with adequate skill and knowledge to lead the public health functions of the health services department is one of the reasons for the repeated failure of public health work.’’ The policy also expresses concern over the surveillance system for communicable diseases since most of the data from private hospitals are not collected, hence, many a time, increase in the number of cases is not noticed in time. It also stresses need for improving the sanitation facilities in Alappuzha, especially in Kuttanadu area. Solid waste management in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Thrissur also require attention. THE PRESCRIPTION Primary care providers would function along the concept of family physicians The primary care team would provide initial care and assist individuals in navigating through different levels of health system A cadre of primary care providers such as general practitioners or family physicians would be developed Post graduate course on primary care would be introduced in medical education Staffing pattern of primary health centres would be reworked The primary care team would be trained to provide basic services themselves