Healthcare is a major concern for rural Indians. Lack of access to healthcare facilities, high cost of treatment, and lack of awareness about diseases are some of the major barriers that prevent people from accessing proper medical care.
As a result of these difficulties, most people do not get the quality healthcare services they need after diagnosis. In addition, many small towns and villages are not provided with professional healthcare and lack opportunities for formal education, which limits innovation and knowledge creation.
So, how can we address these barriers? We need an ecosystem approach that combines innovative solutions to tackle the most challenging problems in rural India. Continue reading to know how we can improve rural areas in India.
Top 6 Healthcare Barriers in Rural India
The lack of coverage for medical expenses and the lack of incentive for doctors to practice in rural areas also contribute to this problem. Here we have mentioned a few of the barriers to Healthcare in rural India.
1. Shortage of Workforces like Surgeons and Physicians
There are not enough surgeons and physicians in rural areas, which is a major problem for Healthcare. The lack of interest in rural areas is a major reason behind this shortage. It has also been observed that no facilities are available to train people and give them jobs as doctors or surgeons.
Rural hospitals have to depend on private hospitals for their surgeries, which add up to their expenses along with other expenses like electricity bills etc.,
It makes them unable to cover all their costs from patient fees alone during the initial stages when they start operations at home without any external help from outside sources like government funds etc.
2. No Coverage of Health Insurance
Health Insurance coverage is not affordable to the masses and is not mandatory by any standards. Even if you have insurance and are covered for some of your medical expenses, there are many places where you can’t get into a hospital without first paying upfront.
This puts many people at risk for financial ruin when they’re sick or injured—and that’s just as bad for their health as being uninsured would be!
It’s easy enough to see why people in rural areas don’t have access to good Healthcare: The cost of treatment is much higher than what most middle-class Indians make per year. This means many low-income families can’t afford it.
3. Privacy Issues and Social Stigma
Privacy and social stigma are two important issues that need to be addressed. Privacy can be solved by using technology, such as biometric scanners, allowing individuals to enter their details without sharing their personal information with anyone else.
Social stigma can be overcome by educating the public about sensitive conditions like mental illness or physical disabilities and their importance in society.
4. Transportation, Distance & Internet
The second most common barrier is distance. It’s not just about getting to a doctor but also about going there frequently because it can take hours or even days to get there on public transport.
Informal transportation solutions like rickshaws and auto rickshaws are expensive, uncomfortable, and unpredictable. In addition, these transport modes don’t provide insurance coverage for accidents or medical emergencies.
Internet connectivity has improved tremendously over the years but remains a challenge in rural areas where mobile data coverage is often limited and unreliable. It especially occurs during peak usage times like summer evenings when people are busy working outdoors instead of indoors at their computers.
5. Poor Health Literacy Rates
The ability to receive, process, and comprehend the fundamental health information and services required to make wise health decisions is known as health literacy. It is an essential component of good health care but also needs improvement in rural India.
Many people in rural areas have poor health literacy skills. This can lead to poor outcomes, such as being sicker or dying sooner than those with higher functional literacy levels (the ability to read, write and speak).
6. Less to No Health Facilities
Last but not least, the barrier to Healthcare can be a lack of resources. There are fewer people and fewer resources for healthcare institutions in remote locations. This led to a shortage of doctors and nurses who could care for patients if they were available.
As a result, many people choose not to seek medical attention when they need it because they don’t want their loved ones to go through the stress associated with traveling long distances or waiting in line for hours before being able to see a doctor.
Top 6 Innovative Solutions to Overcome these Barriers
With the emergence of digital technologies, rural India is gradually moving towards a digital health ecosystem. Here are a few solutions that we are providing to overcome the barriers to rural areas.
1. Delivers a Family-Centered Healthcare
The family-centered approach is one of the most important tools to help rural areas reduce the barriers to Healthcare. Family members should be educated about health, participate in treatment and get information about diseases.
Innovative solutions:
- Provide training sessions on managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension among younger patients.
- Give families a phone number to reach out if they need assistance from doctors or nurses at home or work.
2. Healthcare Investments Should be higher
Both private and public sectors are developing innovative solutions to improve Healthcare in rural areas like India, where there is a gap between urban and rural populations.
Rural populations live under different conditions with limited education, employment opportunities, and financial resources.
It refers to innovation models that address rural healthcare issues like telemedicine, predictive analytics, and e-pharmacy to create a healthier lifestyle for Indians
3. Build and Empower Primary Healthcare Teams
In rural India, many barriers exist to achieving this universal health coverage (UHC) vision. One problem is that primary healthcare teams are understaffed and underfunded, resulting in poor service delivery across districts or states, especially in rural areas where there may be no doctors available for some time after diagnosis or treatment.
Primary Healthcare is another contact that a person has with the healthcare system. It provides the opportunity for early intervention, which helps prevent and manage chronic diseases.
4. Healthcare Professional Should be trained
Healthcare professionals should be trained in rural areas by the government to help improve the healthcare system
5. The workforce of Healthcare Professional Should beEquivalent
It is important to note that healthcare professionals should also have the same education and training as those working in urban areas. This helps them understand their patients better and provide better care.
It also ensures no gaps between different levels of expertise, which can lead to poor quality service delivery or even misdiagnosis (especially if a patient complains about symptoms such as stomach ache).
6. Improve and Educate the Rural Communities for a Healthy Society
Education is the key to a healthy society. Rural communities need to be educated about Healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, and hygiene.
How do E-clinics are providing services and helping people in rural areas?
E-clinics and telemedicine are also helping people in rural areas. They help them to stay healthy and reduce the time taken to visit a doctor for teleconsultation, which means that people have more time for other things like work.
1. E-clinics are Improving Healthcare on the ground
E-clinics are eliminating the disconnect between doctors and patients and between different medical professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, and pathologists.
2. Eliminating the Disconnect
E-clinics have eliminated this disconnect by bringing health professionals and patients together, allowing remote areas access to new technology to help them stay healthy.
3. Keeping People Healthy
The way we receive information has changed dramatically because to the internet, and now e-clinics give consumers access to local medical care.
You can use your mobile phone as an e-doctor and diagnose patients remotely at their home or office with the help of doctors who work from their mobile phones.
This will eliminate any disconnect between the patient and doctor, which is an important factor in ensuring that people receive timely care without traveling long distances or waiting hours for appointments at hospitals or clinics.
This also helps reduce transport costs and waste because ambulance services will make fewer trips since they no longer need extra vehicles for transporting patients.
4. Allowing Access to New Technology in Remote Areas
E-clinics are the best way to provide Healthcare in remote areas. They are affordable and easy to use, can be used anywhere and anytime, are secure and safe, and are a good way of providing Healthcare in rural areas.
Key Takeaway
- E-clinics are improving Healthcare by providing access to technology that has been otherwise inaccessible in rural areas.
- There is a disconnect between the quality of Healthcare offered and what patients can afford, which leads to many people going untreated because they cannot afford it.
- With e-clinics, providers can provide all aspects of treatment remotely, eliminating geographic constraints and allowing them to focus on providing top-notch care rather than having someone physically visit every patient at their home or work facility.
Conclusion
This article has covered a lot of information on Healthcare in rural India and given examples of innovations that could be used. While the solutions outlined should help improve the situation, we also feel we need to do more.
We need to ensure that every individual has access to Healthcare, whether it’s through improving primary care centers or providing training programs. DigiQure E-Clinic is also working 24*7 to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in rural India.
We also need better education programs across all levels of society – especially those who don’t have access currently due to poor health literacy or lack of knowledge about how things work around them, like internet connectivity or transportation options.