BioVoice News April 2017 Issue 11 Volume 1 | Page 53

details given below:- care to Wellness, with Percentage of elderly aged 60 years and above Year % 2015 8.9 The policy aims for attainment of the highest possible level of health and well-being for all at all ages, through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies, and universal access to good quality health care services without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence. This would be achieved through increasing access, improving quality and lowering the cost of healthcare delivery. The broad principles of the Policy are centered on professionalism, integrity and ethics, equity, affordability, universality, patient centered and quality of care, accountability and pluralism. Policy follows prevention better than cure analogy The health policy seeks to move away from Sick- 2030 12.5 2050 19.4 thrust on prevention and health promotion. While the policy seeks to reorient and strengthen the public health systems, it also looks afresh at strategic purchasing from the private sector and leveraging their strengths to achieve national health goals. It looks at stronger partnership with the private sector which is a welcome change. The policy advocates a progressively incremental assurance-based approach. It envisages providing larger package of assured comprehensive primary health care through the ‘Health and Wellness Centers’ and denotes important change from very selective to comprehensive primary health care package which includes care for major NCDs, mental health, geriatric health care, palliative care and rehabilitative care services. It advocates allocating major proportion (two-thirds or more) of resources to primary care. It aims to ensure availability of 2 beds per 1000 population distributed in a manner to enable access within golden hour. In order to provide access and financial pro tection, it proposes free drugs, free diagnostics and free emergency and essential healthcare services in all public hospitals. The policy has also assigned specific quantitative targets aimed at reduction of disease prevalence/ incidence under 3 broad components viz.(a)health status and programme impact, (b) health system performance and (c) health systems strengthening, aligned to the policy objectives. This policy focuses on tackling the emerging challenge of non- communicable diseases. It supports an integrated approach where screening for the most prevalent NCDs with secondary prevention would make a significant impact on reduction of morbidity and preventable mortality. BIOVOICENEWS.COM 53