This article is written by Dr. Chaitanya Kotapati
I have made the following observations during my last visit
to India in January 2018, and these observations are a result of my
consultations with respected officials and stakeholders in the skill
development sector in healthcare in India during my last visit.
1.
Skill development in the healthcare sector has
got excellent business potential in India at all levels including urban,
regional and remote areas.
2.
The top bureaucrats and politicians demonstrate
the genuine interest and willingness to invest and boost the skills in this
sector.
3.
The central government initiatives including
trauma support centers for every fifty kilometers distance and dedicated trauma
centers at every district level facility would be a fantastic project once they
are fully operational. These initiatives will be seen as an outstanding model in
trauma care for densely populated nations in other parts of the world.
4.
The willingness of Indian government to deliver
healthcare packages to disadvantaged citizens showcases the commitment from the
Indian government to improve the overall nation's health.
5.
Simulation training in healthcare is a novel but
not entirely new concept that is widely understood in urban India mainly by the
trained health professionals. Many of the low-level applications of simulation
techniques using mannequins are already well used in the urban health sector,
but mostly in private health sector.
6.
There is real scope for simulation training for developing
the primary responder skill set in trauma situations as well as non-trauma
settings across India
7.
There is also a substantial role and
applicability for simulation-based training in life-saving skills and trauma
resuscitation in non-health industries like offshore mining, high altitude
tourism, and festival gatherings.
8.
Healthcare industry can work with Redcross to
reach the regional and rural as well as remote sectors and develop the skill
base and resilience needed to survive in such settings with limited access to
healthcare.
9.
Education and skill development industry is a
successful business model in India in many two tiers and almost all the tier-1
cities.
Gaps in the Healthcare skills industry.
·
Skill development sector in Healthcare, however,
lags behind OECD countries by around fifteen years.
·
The disconnect between public and private
healthcare sectors manifests as an unfillable void causing public healthcare
sector dysfunction outside major cities.
·
The power to make valid changes that could
promote equity in healthcare delivery all over India lies in the hands of few
people only at a higher level. This power could be a combination of political,
financial and industrial power. However, India is moving at a steady pace in
the right direction and sometimes even at a considerable speed in private
sector.
·
The real opportunity for external and foreign
players in healthcare sector who could expedite the change process is not
entirely visible to interested players.
·
The government is lax in the regulatory
processes that govern the accreditation processes and capabilities of private
healthcare facilities In India.
Some recent developments in health care skills industry in
India.
1.
NSDA – National Skill Development Agency is
playing a pivotal role in developing vocational training courses in India.
2.
Individual organizations have started to invest
in large scale in the Indian skill development industry
3.
Simulation training centers in healthcare have
been set up in places like Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. Almost all of
these centers are private centers.
4.
Mater Foundation, Brisbane, Australia commenced
their joint project in simulation training in Hyderabad in partnership with a private
group of doctors( currently in business agreement stages).
The realistic opportunities that could arise for the joint
programs with Redcross-
1.
Private investors with simulation training
capabilities should be encouraged to partner with Redcross to facilitate
delivery of training courses for primary responders.
2.
Healthcare technology industry should be
encouraged to invest in training and development of trauma facilities all over
India.
3.
Foreign investors, both small and big players
should be encouraged to become partners in the development of skill development
industry in the healthcare sector in India.
