India@75: How India has progressed on major healthcare indicators

After the end of the British rule in India, there was both jubilation and worry. While the people were celebrating throwing off the yoke of colonial rule, there were also concerns about how the nation would find its way amidst all its troubles.

Healthcare was one of the major issues. The lack of trained medical professionals in the country, low life expectancy, high infant mortality rate and inability of the majority of the nation’s citizens to access proper healthcare were some of the major problems facing the country.

However, India managed to ensure that a greater percentage of its population could access healthcare. By prioritising healthcare in their Five-Year plans, successive governments ensured that India could improve its Human Development Index (HDI) indicators and make headway with regards to the holistic development of its citizens.

Here is how India has progressed on some health indicators in 75 years of independence:

Infant Mortality Rate:
Infant Mortality Rate shows the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births. The IMR in the country has gone down from 146 in 1951 to 28 in 2020, according to data by the government. The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the country has also declined to 7.3 in 2016-18, as per a press release by the Press Information Bureau.

Life expectancy:
The improvement in medical facilities and greater and more equitable access to healthcare has led India’s life expectancy to nearly double between 1951 and 2019. Female life expectancy has risen from 36.2 years in 1951 to 71.1 years in 2019. Life expectancy in males has jumped from 37.2 years to 68.4 years.

More healthcare personnel:
One sector where India has progressed significantly is the number of healthcare personnel. The nation had only 61,840 doctors for its entire population in 1951. The number has increased to 13,08,009 in 2022. The present ratio of doctors to patients is 1:834 in India compared to the 1:1000 standard ratio set by the World Health Organization. As for the number of nurses, that has also surged from 16,500 in 1951 to 34.96 lakh in 2022.

Healthcare schemes:
Since independence, the Union government has come up with various schemes to make healthcare facilities more accessible to the general population. From the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) for decreasing maternal mortality rate to the Ayushman Bharat scheme, India has taken a number of steps towards making its citizens healthier.

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