Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

‘State needs to focus on public health’

Thiruvananthapuram: The State’s health system requires a separate Directorate for Public Health, responsible for disease prevention and epidemic preparedness as well as integrated activities like environment watch, sanitation and hygiene. This would ensure that rather than depending on ad hoc decisions and patchwork solutions, primary health care activities, including disease surveillance and prevention, are well-designed.

The suggestion came up at a discussion on the role of the private sector in public health held here recently. The discussion was organised by Public Health Group, a group of medical professionals and public health specialists.

The existing public health system has moved away from preventive aspects and health system research – operational or health care research – has just not been happening. The lack of a streamlined system for disease reporting, which includes data from the private sector, is a major lacunae of the current health system, it was pointed out.

Public health experts pointed out that government has not been playing the dynamic leadership role it used to play in the area of public health and the government’s investment in the health sector has been going down steadily. So far, the private sector’s contribution to public health has been meagre.

However, the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and road traffic accidents is emerging as major public health problems which the government’s health system is ill-equipped to handle, experts pointed out. C.R. Soman, chairman, Health Action by People, moderated the discussion.

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