Sridharan Mani
Director & CEO, American Megatrends India

Sridharan Mani, Director & CEO, American Megatrends India deliberates over the entire healthcare system that has steadily transformed into a sick care business despite increase in life expectancy & power of spending. In this extremely focused article, he highlights the fundamental flaws in the healthcare structure & how due to lack of preventive cure people are losing productive years, which is in turn impacting the entire well-being of the individual and economy of the country

Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. —Cassius in Julius Caesar Truly inspiring lines from William Shakespeare Is healthcare playing the same hardline realities with us now? Are we becoming underlings of the healthcare system? Is our freedom for leading a healthy and happy life has taken a beating? Let me start with a clear distinction between Care and Cure and review how we are progressing with Care aspects of health. Care is serious attention or consideration applied to doing something correctly in order to avoid damage or risk. Cure is to help sick person become healthy again by relieving the symptoms of a disease or condition that made the person ill. Healthcare by definition should imply that necessary steps are taken to avoid damages to health and life. Is that happening? Ask yourselves, in this real world, are we more mirrored by Care or Cure when it comes to health and life? Be aware of the realities. Welcome to the world of health care/cure The Sickness Business. You, me and them believe that the current healthcare system is for care and it is so not true. Here is why?

Todays healthcare system is indirectly promoting people to be sick than be healthy. Though Care is now much fashionably used among the healthcare stakeholders, Cure continues to be underlying aspect of the system. Therefore, there is a need to reflect upon the reasons behind the entire much debated and controversial Sick Care Business to empower patients to become the real decision-makers in the entire process.

In order to enhance the common understanding on the differences between Care and Cure, we need to know the difference between the two concepts. On the one hand, cure is always an aftermath attempt to recover to the normal state after an event caused by ignorance and carelessness. On the other hand, Care is all about undertaking adequate steps to prevent the occurrence of diseases by being cautious and aware.

A critical comparison of disabilityadjusted life year (DALY), which measures the overall disease burden and productive years of life lost due to the diseases burden, data of 2000 and 2012 highlights some of the eyeopening facts.

World population has increased by 16.4%

Health spending has increased by 145%

Life expectancy has gone up by 6.17%

Years of precious life lost due to disability have also doubled 107%

Productivity/income loss due to disability is significant and estimated to be 43.4 trillion by 2030.

Comparison of DALY data of 2000 and 2012 reveal eye-opening facts

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Shall we conclude the following based on the above facts?

Quality of life is suffering: Lifeexpectancy has gone up by 4.1 years but years lost in disability have doubled.

If the spending has increased by 145%, why DALYs is not coming down and life expectancy has meagerly improved by 6.17%?

Where the spending is happening and why it is not effective in reducing DALYs?

Is todays healthcare system fundamentally flawed?

Understanding the concept of DALY

Yes, todays healthcare system is fundamentally flawed. Here are the reasons:

Primary focus is on Cure. Get Sick to get attention else you are your own to stay healthy.

It is no longer about Care. Encourages getting sick to get cured.

Healthcare revenue model is based on the level of sickness, i.e. higher the sickness, higher the revenue potential. Treatment is based on affordability.

Level of sickness is due to leading an unhealthy lifestyle.

Importantly, unhealthy life puts additional burden on dependents life.

Biomedical waste, toxins and plastic dumping is an ongoing challenge and it does affect our environment.

Doctors, hospitals, clinics and specialists are blamed or sued when misdiagnosis happens, asthey have to deal with life and death situation every moment thus increasing the liability of care.

In 2012, 93% of healthcare spending happened for Cure as per Frost & Sullivan Report. Very little emphasis is on Prevention and left to individuals to take care.

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Transform from Health Cure to Healthcare

Kindly remember, Care is about prevention and promoting well-being. Prevention is always better than Cure, and it is inexpensive.

The transformation needed to take us back from Cure to Care is simple.

IF YOU CAN PREVENT, WHY GO FOR CURE!!!

Promote wellness, promote good health

Encourage leading life without diseases

Spend on activities, good food, products and solutions that help you to keep healthy and facilitate to keep a tab on your health AMI VitalsFitâ„¢ diagnose a set of 15 diseases & is portable

Regularly monitorvitals to keep a tab on your health. It helps you to:

>> Identify the indications of silent killers like hypertension, diabetes, etc., well before time

>> Keep your chronic conditions in check.

>> Identify the right diet and lifestyle based on your health conditions

>> Lead a healthy and happy life.

By transforming from Cure to Care and by regularly monitoring health to ensure all health parameters in range, we can stay fit and reduce global disease.

As Peter Drucker said, If you cant measure it, you cant improve it.

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