Health Ministry Strongly Opposes Corporatization Of Sector. New Delhi: In a move that has angered the health ministry, the Planning Commission has asked for reversal of the longstanding public health policy from the 12th Plan onwards, ending the governments’ dominant role in providing health services and transiting to greater privatization of the health sector, something along the lines of the ‘managed care’ system which is followed in the US and Mexico. The health ministry has taken a tough stance against what is referred to as “corporatization of healthcare” and will send a strong reply on Wednesday to plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, arguing that “the first priority should be to strengthen the public health system and involve the private sector only for critical gap filling”. The letter from health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad says “the private sector should not substitute but supplement the public sector”. TOI accessed a draft, finalized in end-July, of the 12th Plan’s health chapter which sketches the dramatic reversal that would bring in universal health insurance coverage by allowing a selected ‘network’ of private and other operators to sell services on competitive basis to the government, for which they would be paid on what the industry calls ‘capitation’ basis or simply on fixed rates for treatments for every person handled. The prescription visualizes the government’s role in delivering primary healthcare as restricted to mere essentials like antenatal care, leaving more lucrative treatment to the ‘managed-care’ system where private players will compete with cash-strapped government-run hospitals. The commission’s proposal runs contrary to what even its high level expert group on health reforms had said as recently as November 2011. For the full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com Times View India’s healthcare system is already among the most privatized in the world and the last thing we need is a further retreat of the state in this sector. Far from reducing its role, the government should be focusing on increasing it. Not only does it need to spend much more on building infrastructure like hospitals and primary health centres, it must ensure that these are adequately staffed and equipped. Of course, ensuring that the money spent is well-utilized is important, which also means constant monitoring of whether doctors and paramedical staff are actually present where they are supposed to be. The immunization programme too needs to be boosted and urgently. These are not options but necessary steps because, like education, healthcare too must be seen as something all citizens are entitled to.