Health Scenario

The World Health Organisation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The current health scenario in India is discussed in detail here, focusing on the right to health. Issues related to both physical and mental health are dealt with here, with added emphasis given to mental health in India. 

Health Scenario in India 

Since independence, many efforts have been made to promote the health of the people of India. Considerable progress has been achieved, such as smallpox being eliminated. Deaths because of cholera and other related diseases have also drastically decreased. 

Although, issues such as public sanitation, preventive healthcare, control of communicable diseases, and health education are still there, and much work is required in these areas. In rural areas, there are health issues because of poverty. In urban areas, diseases related to lifestyle issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases are a matter of grave concern. 

Right to Health

Under the Constitution of India, the responsibility is upon the state by way of directive principles to ensure that their citizens get basic nutrition and a decent standard of living. Articles 39, 41, 42, and 47 deal with these provisions. As per article 21 of the Constitution of India, the right to life and personal liberty is a fundamental right. Time and again, the scope of this article is expanded by the Supreme Court through various judgements. The Right to health is also made part of the right to life and liberty and is considered a fundamental right of a person. 

Mental Health

Apart from the well-being of physical health, nowadays, mental health has also become a topic for discussion. People all across the world are struggling with mental health issues. India, too, has caught up to this global concern. About 14% of the diseases are related to neuropsychiatric disorders globally. While we are now facing a steady increase in cases being reported of mental health issues, we are slowly realising that these issues perhaps always persisted. One could argue that it was the lack of awareness in our society that did not allow people to come out and openly talk about their mental health.

People no longer want to be healthy in only the physical sense of the word, but also want to be of sound mind. This explains why we are noticing a steady increase in people reporting their mental health struggles.

In order to address this issue, several awareness camps have been conducted and they have yielded positive results. Their main goal is to create awareness about the subject and remove the stigma related to mental issues.

Through various programmes in India, it is observed that mental health literacy among adolescents is very low, and almost 29% were found suffering from one or other kinds of depression. Only 1.31% of people were able to recognise schizophrenia/psychosis. The study also found that there is a stigma attached to this area, and to the people who are seeking help. 

These findings confirm that there is a need to create awareness related to mental health in India. Mental health literacy is an important tool to create awareness and knowledge about mental health disorders. The entire program can be clubbed under three broad categories of recognition- knowledge of factors responsible, attitudes, and beliefs about mental health. 

Components of mental health literacy

• Knowledge about how to recognise a specific disorder
• Knowledge about how to seek mental health information
• Knowledge about the risk factors 
• Knowledge about the causes
• Knowledge about the self-help 
• Ability to recognise psychological distress
• Knowledge and positive attitude about the professional help

In India, there is a shortage in the number of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and social workers. Also, a large chunk of the population does not address this concern because they have limited financial resources. Several NGOs, such as Manas Mental Health and Social Services, Sanjivini Society for Mental Health, etc., are working in this area to address this concern. The Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences (IHBAS) is one of the initiatives taken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and Government of NCT of Delhi to address this issue. 

Roadmap for Mental Health Awareness 

The only way forward for improving the mental health status of the Indian population is by creating awareness. With better levels of awareness, early recognition and access to treatment can be expected and preventive measures can be adopted. Our government, as well as private practitioners, and social groups such as NGOs or charitable institutions are working towards these issues and trying to address the core. Various platforms can be used to achieve this target. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Conventional media
• Government programmes
• Educational system 
• Internet and social media
• Crowdsourcing 

Healthcare Sector

Healthcare has become one of the largest sectors in India for generating revenue and employment. The Indian healthcare sector is growing at a rapid pace and is categorised into two: public and private sector. India has a large pool of well-trained medical professionals who are contributing towards the development of this sector. During the current COVID pandemic wave, the healthcare sector has increased three-fold. 

Conclusion

India has made considerable progress in their health standards after independence. Still, there is much to be done, especially in the mental health sector. Sustained efforts of the government and private groups can make a significant impact on mental health.