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Dear Readers,

Healthcare: One and a half century ago, wealth creators, generators and protectors had built up healthcare facilities even in the remote villages whenever they had gone. They have been doing it even now as a work of philanthropy. Healthcare infrastructure has not been developed as required to meet the situations emerging from any catastrophe like epidemic etc. China, as far back as 2003, had built up a number of hospitals in several cities having 14000 – 15000 beds. Seoul in South Korea has a hospital in the main city having more than 11000 beds and hundreds of OTs, ICUs with all the facilities. In India, there is shortage of healthcare personnel due to limited facilities for education and training. Several years (7 – 8) years are taken to set up a hospital and / or medical college and/or nursing college. Rules are not only complicated but cumbersome.

There is shortage of doctors/nurses/technicians even in normal times. We have 1.3 to 1.5 doctors for every 1000 people. Medical seats available in the nation are around 80,000 whereas the aspirants are 1.5 million. Proper planning and implementation of education and training programmes would be able to produce more doctors, nurses and technicians every year. There is surplus of engineers and other higher education degree holders. Setting up a medical school of 150 students requires a 750 bed hospitals (every seat needs five technician hospital beds). Land requirement is also very much despite higher cost of land. The cost of a decent size hospital in a metro city with all modern facilities and equipment would be `500 crore or more, but cost of borrowing of money is also very high. It will take four to five years to become economically viable and to repay and serve the debts. There are limited nursing care and other technical centres. Requirement of land and beds is very high and not economically viable.

India is faced with a gigantic humanitarian and economic crisis. To deal with humanity banks and financial institutions should restructure the debts of healthcare units and extend further loan at 7-8% for increasing the beds and services. RBI should extend the fund for this purpose.

Surge of second wave of Covid-19 pandemic has made Bharatwasis to realise how inadequate our healthcare facilities are. India Inc. is permitted to spend on healthcare facilities as CSR expenditure, but that is not exempt from Income Tax. The government should exempt the CSR expenditure. After paying income tax as usual as per IT rules & act, tax of 33% and above is being paid on CSR expenditure.

Shaktikanta Das, Governor of RBI, announced emergency liquidity support of ` 50,000 crore with tenure up to 3 years at the repo rate, 4%, till March 31, 2022, to boost provision of immediate liquidity for ramping up Covid-related healthcare infra-structure and services in the country. It is classified under priority sector lending until repayment or maturity. Under this scheme, banks can provide fresh lending support to a wide range of entities including vaccine manufacturers, importers and suppliers of vaccines and priority medical devices, hospitals and dispensaries, pathology labs, manufactures and suppliers of oxygen and ventilators, importers of vaccines and Covid-related drugs, logistics firms who are not categorised under NPA as on 31.03.2020.

Since over a decade, several healthcare units/hospital projects have been undertaken with large infrastructure having provision for 500 or more beds, but they are not in full operation due to cost overrun of the projects due to delays in getting numerous approvals and clearances. RBI should have given liquidity fund facility to these units instead of giving fund to the healthy ones, realising the emergency of the pandemic through which the nation is going through.

The top hospital chain of the nation had an average borrowing cost of 9.8% in FY21 whereas the new greenfield hospitals which have come into operation in last few years and are short of fund have to pay an interest rate of more than 14%.

The 2021 Economic Survey set out the importance of increasing public health spending from 1% to 2.5-3% of GDP. India currently ranks 145 out of 180 countries on quality and access to healthcare. FM Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech, had emphasised on holistic approach to health that focus on strengthening three areas – prevention, curative and well being.

It is a pity that in India there is one doctor for every 1457 people. It is estimated that around twenty lakh nursing personnel are available for active services. Education and training facilities are very poor. Unemployment problem can be solved greatly by increasing the education and training facilities by liberalising rules and regulations for setting these centres. India has just 5 hospital beds for 10,000 people.

Covid Pandemic: Bharatwasis have not adhered to health guidelines such as wearing mask and maintaining social distancing. Government has not taken timely and adequate measures to combat the pandemic, such as stern action for maintaining the social distance, public health guidelines and providing adequate funds to vaccine manufacturers. Vaccine has not been given properly to the public due to several restrictions and limitations. India’s national average figure on vaccine wastage stood at 6.5% in March. In some places, wastage is over 30%. Much of it has been due to the restrictions to vaccinate above 45 years. Government has allowed vaccinating people above 18 years from 1st May, 2021. Now there is an acute shortage of vaccines. Patent rule even for vaccine has not been relaxed or waived so that many pharma companies could start the production. Some lump sum money with restriction on the facility of production should be incorporated for the intellectual property protection. Government could have reimbursed the cost of development.

Pfizer has not been given permission despite lapse of some months. Till 12th May total number of Covid deaths stood at more than 2,58,000. Almost 2.37 crore people were infected.

Bharatwasis have to prepare for a more lethal third Covid wave. It is reported that youth and children are more resilient to pandemic. The third wave of Covid-19 will be very serious for young population under 18 years of age.

Many Indian doctors in USA are ready to fly to India to help fight the situation. Till 13th May only 13.76 crore people got their first dose, while 3.95 crore people were fully vaccinated against the population of over 130 crore. The Covid vaccines have been developed by the scientists globally for the benefit of the people. It is humane task to make the medicine available to all the people.

Bharat Economy: In its latest forecast, Credit Suisse has sharply lowered Bharat’s FY22 GDP growth to around 8.5-9%. Fitch also predicts GDP growth at 9.5% for FY22.

S&P (Standard and Poor’s) Global Ratings has retained India’s lowest investment grade (BBB-) rating with a stable outlook and said that the depth of the Indian economy’s declaration will determine the hit on its sovereign credit profile.

The pandemic should be a cure for triumphalism in the country. We have a lot of hard work to do. We all need to be working in a seamless manner as one team. Public and Private sectors have also to come together.

He said all are working in a seamless manner as one team. Public and Private sectors have also come together.

Let us march – march with the flag of work hard in time visualising the emergency and ensuing emergency.