3 Review(s)

Rising affluence is triggering an explosion in lifestyle diseases, driving spiraling growth in healthcare costs and loss of productivity. If this is not checked there is a serious danger of India not realising its economic goals. The provision of healthcare to all Indian citizens, regardless of ability to pay, is a must if we are to avoid this danger. This raises the question - is Universal Health Coverage (UHC) feasible for a large middle-income country like India? The authors have deconstructed the healthcare system as it exists today – wasteful, expensive, and inefficient – to propose an alternative model that is both affordable and high-quality. The ideas presented here may look outrageous when viewed through the prism of what has been the norm, but the authors demonstrate the feasibility of the changes they propose by providing concrete examples of how the changes would work. UHC is within India’s means if the political will to implement radical change of the kind described in this book can be mustered. Health for all citizens is not an option but an imperative for a just and thriving republic.