2012 was quite a year for India's healthcare sector. While we finally managed to eradicate polio, incidents like Baby Falak's torture and female infanticide shook us to the core. Also finally the government promised to increase its healthcare spends, collaborate with the private sector and provide more security and inclusiveness to People with Disabilities. While multinational pharmaceutical companies slugged it out over patent rights and compulsory licences, a TV show made the entire nation sit up and introspect. All in all 2012 was quite a memorable year with good, bad and some downright ugly incidents. Here are top health newsmakers of the year:
1. Universal Health Coverage
India's healthcare system has often been derided for being one of the most inefficient in the world. We have a shocking record with over 78% out-of-pocket expenditure and Universal Health Coverage became the byword as the government promised to provide better healthcare services and free generic drugs to all.
2. India VS Big Pharma
India has long been heralded by other developing nations as the torchbearer of generic drugs, big multinational pharmaceutical companies on the other hand feel this is a blatant violation of their intellectual property rights. Indian generic companies, the Patent Body and international pharmaceuticals slugged it out throughout the year raising various medico-legal debates about the price of drugs, its affordability and the sanctity of intellectual property rights.
3. Medical fraternity VS Health Ministry
The medical fraternity led by the IMA and the Health Ministry had some major showdowns throughout the year. The doctors felt they were being dealt and unfair hand with the Health Ministry's controversial compulsory three year rural bachelor course and plans to plug the brain drain. The final showdown however was reserved for the NCHRH bill a controversial move that looked to dissolve the Medical Council of India and other professional medical bodies.
4. Polio-free India
If India remains polio-free for the next whole month, it will have maintained a zero-polio cases record for an astounding two years. To put this in perspective, India was one of the most polio-stricken countries in the world and even as recently as 2002 most of the cases in the world were from India but by the end of 2012 it had gone almost two years polio-free. However, India shares its borders with two polio-endemic countries (Bangladesh and Pakistan) and the only way to keep the deadly disease at bay is a relentless vaccine drive.
5. Gutka ban
On April 1, Madhya Pradesh became the first state to ban the sale, manufacture and production of gutka. 15 states and three Union Territories followed suit and there's a call to ban gutka throughout the country. Unfortunately even after the ban, gutka is still easily available in all banned states.
6. People with Disabilities (PwD)Act 2012
A new draft of the PwD act was proposed to improve lives of people with disabilities. It includes the most inclusive definition of disability which has been broadened to include people suffering from autism, cerebral palsy, chronic neurological condition, dwarfism, haemophilia, intellectual disability, leprosy cured, low vision, muscular dystrophy, specific learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis and thalassemia. While it's good that the powers-that-be are looking to improve the lives of PwDs it's still to be seen if it can help the concerned in the real world.
How inclusive and accessible is our society
7. ART Assisted Reproductive Technique
ART was in the news for three separate incidents -
8. Satyamev Jayate
It is indeed strange that a television show is described amongst the most definitive moments of the year but the impact of Aamir Khan's (he just can't stay away from our list) TV show is not even debatable. The show didn't shy away from discussing taboo topics like female foeticide, child sex abuse, medical malpractice and alcohol abuse among others and ruffled quite a few feathers. Esoteric topics like generic drugs, pesticides and patient rights actually became nationwide obsessions. It's safe to say that Satyamev Jayate changed television and the very concept that mass media is only for entertainment.
9. Baby Falak and the plight of the girl child
Baby Falak's plight coupled with cases of abandoned baby girls and female infanticide showed the hitherto unknown side of modern India's face a very chauvinist and patriarchal one at that. Baby Falak's unfortunate demise coupled with the ugly practice of female foeticide dominated headlines throughout the year.
10. UP A land where sweepers, ward boys and drivers play doctor
The nation was shocked a TV channel expose showed that non-medical personnel in Uttar Pradesh were regularly assisting doctors with skillful paramedic work by applying stiches, carrying out post mortems and attending to patients in emergency wards. Similar news filtered in from West Bengal resulting in serious questions being asked about the healthcare services provided in this country.
