About Healthcare and eSlice of India

The art of Health Care in India can be traced back nearly 3500 years. From the early days of Indian history the Aryurvedic tradition of medicine has been practiced. During the rule of Emperor Ashoka Maurya ( 3rd century B.C.E.), schools of learning in the healing arts were created. Many valuable herbs and medicinal combinations were created. Even today many of these continue to be used. During his rein there is evidence that Emperor Ashoka was the first leader in world history to attempt to give health care to all of his citizens, thus it was the India of antiquity which was the first state to give it's citizens national health care.

Providing healthcare and disease prevention to India’s growing population of more than a billion people becomes challenging in the face of increased competition for resources. 2.47 million people in India are estimated to be HIV positive. India is one of the four countries worldwide where polio has not as yet been successfully eradicated and one third of the world’s tuberculosis cases are in India.

According to the WHO(World Health Organization) around 900,000 Indians die each year from drinking contaminated water and breathing in polluted air. In India there is a rise in chronic adult diseases such as cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes as a consequence of changing lifestyles.

There are vast disparities in people’s health even among the different states across the country largely attributed to the resource allocation by the state governments where some states have been more successful than others. Better efforts are needed by the local governments to ensure that the health services provided are actually reaching the poor in worst-affected areas.

The average female life expectancy today in India is low compared to many countries, but it has shown gradual improvement over the years. In many families, especially rural ones, the girls and women face nutritional discrimination within the family, and are anaemic and malnourished.

The Indian healthcare industry is seen to be growing at a rapid pace and is expected to become a US$280 billion industry by 2022. The Indian healthcare market is currently estimated at US$35 billion and is expected to reach over US$75 billion by 2012 and US$150 billion by 2017. The healthcare sector has experienced phenomenal growth of 12 percent per annum in the last few years. Rising income levels and a growing elderly population are all factors that are driving this growth. In addition, changing demographics, disease profiles and the shift from chronic to lifestyle diseases in the country has led to increased spending on healthcare delivery.

The majority of the Indian population is unable to access high quality healthcare provided by private players as a result of high costs. Many are now looking towards insurance companies for providing alternative financing options so that they too may seek better quality healthcare. The opportunity remains huge for insurance providers entering into the Indian healthcare market.

India is being recognised as an ideal location for medical tourists seeking health care at lower costs as compared to other countries.

In order to bridge the gap between the patients and medical service providers www.esliceofindia.com has developed a user friendly and informative web portal www.esliceofindia.com/healthcare