Benchmarking Healthcare System

  • Health Index is an annual systematic tool as per NITI Aayog.
  • To leverage cooperative and competitive federalism.
  • To accelerate the pace of achieving health outcomes.
  • Encouraging cross learning among the states.
  • Right to health is neither a fundamental right nor a statutory right.
  • Health subject has been assigned to the state govt.
  • Two thirds of the total govt. expenditure on health comes from the state governments.
  • Balance one-third is being provided by the govt. of India.
  • India is signatory to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

National Health Mission

  • Launched by the govt. of India in 2013.
  • It subsumes the National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission.
  • It was further extended in March 2018, to continue until March 2020.
  • The main aim is to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care which is accountable.

Ayushman Bharat

  • Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana.
  • A part of the Indian government՚s National Health Policy.
  • The main aim is to provide free health coverage at the secondary and tertiary level to its bottom 40% poor and vulnerable population.

Neo-Natal Mortality Rate

  • Neonate, is a child under 28 days of age.
  • At present Neonatal Mortality Rate is 28 per 1000 live births.
  • 70% of total infant deaths, and more than half of under-five deaths fall in the neonatal period.

Health Index Outcomes and Systems

  • First ever systematic exercise for tracking the progress on health outcomes.
  • Performance across all the States and Union Territories on an annual basis.
  • States can improve the delivery of health services along with an opportunity of sharing best practices.
  • Health Index is a weighted composite index:
    • Health Outcomes
    • Governance and Information
    • Key Inputs and Processes
  • Full immunization coverage.
  • Treatment success rate of confirmed tuberculosis cases.
  • Stability of tenure of key administrators.
  • Vacancy of doctors.
  • Specialists in health facilities
  • Functionality of primary health centres.
  • First referral units and cardiac care units.

Health Index, June 2019

Health Index June 2019Health Index June 2019
States⟋UTsBest PerformingLeast Performing
Large StatesKerala74.01Uttar Pradesh
Small StatesMizoram74.97Nagaland
UTsChandigarh63.62Daman & Diu

States Categorized on the Basis of Reference Year (2017 - 18) Index Score Range

States Categorisation nased on Reference Year 2017 - 18States Categorisation nased on Reference Year 2017 - 18
Aspirants (Lowest one-third-Index score < 43.74)Achievers (Middle one-third Index score between 43.74 and 58.88)Front-runners (Top one-third-Index score > 58.88)
RajasthanWest BengalKerala
UttarakhandHaryanaAndhra Pradesh
Madhya PradeshChhattisgarhMaharashtra
OdishaJharkhandGujarat
BiharAssamPunjab
Uttar PradeshHimachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Telangana

Conclusion

  • Health index is an innovative tool.
  • Fosters competition among states by comparing similar states.
  • Nudges states to better or improve their own performance in the previous year.
  • Critical factors contributed to the success of the Health Index:
    • Timelines of the report so that it stimulates action not merely academic discussions.
    • Provision of financial incentives based on the annual incremental performance of states under NHM.
    • Verification of self-reported data by states by a third party, independent verification agency to enhance credibility.

Examrace Team at Aug 20, 2021