Mumbai is the maximum city. A city that is global, smart and with a soul. Yet how does its healthcare system measure up. The Health of Mumbai [HOM] report is envisioned as an annual report- card on Mumbai’s healthcare system. Our first report will be publicly available in January 2017. The 20/20 Vision will provide the ‘three data point’ basis for demonstrating a transformative trend.
The objective of a report-card is to align various players in the healthcare- ecosystem and focus their energies and resources on what really matters to the community as a whole : Mumbai has always demonstrated ‘islands of excellence’ but now must become the ‘island of excellence’.
Mumbai’s Human Development Report is 8th in the state at 0.846. Mumbai performing well in income and literacy but poorly due to health. Mumbai not in the top three districts in infant mortality rate. Kohlapur’s infant mortality rate is only 13 per 1000 live births. Mumbai and Mumbai suburbs have low sex ratios. health expenditure in terms of gross domestic product is low 0.6 percent . Urban poverty decline is usually slower than rural . Urban economic growth faster than rural.
A ‘ perfect healthcare system’ is a myth. Yet, there is hope if we can imaginatively co-create the opportunities for improvement. The current equivocation of ‘five star’ hospitals with high quality healthcare is on its own misleading , not merely due to the comparative lack of similar services for the poor, but is flawed in its logic of production. These hospitals have learnt to be ‘ big and flamboyant’ and are yet to learn to be ‘ sensitive and smart’.
Healthcare begins with Demography ,Geography and ‘Ecology of Care’ . What is the change in demography of mumbai and how does this match the progress in healthcare . A smart city is only possible and even worthwhile if we have or atleast wish to have a ‘ caring city ‘. It begins with the fundamental assurance that the whole city cares for the individuals health.
Debates, about how much money the government needs to spend has a dismal legacy. Every seems to agree that current healthcare spending vis a vis the GDP is dismal. In such debates that usually the nation as a arena often hides the more stunning inadequacy of the match between the financing and burden of disease within cities. Mumbai can spend more and needs to do so.
At some point , even as a starting point , we need to seek to define healthcare as the public see it. what is the concept of health and what is the expectation of healthcare for the public.
