POST PANDEMIC EFFECTS ON THE INDIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

The COVID-19 pandemic is a watershed moment in the global healthcare landscape. It is straining our health system and revealing how fragile it is, forcing our government to make tough choices keeping in mind the medical accessibility and safety of its citizens.

As goes the maxim, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”; the healthcare sector, post-COVID-19, is about to undergo transfiguration with a plethora of new ideas.

Focus on the Healthcare System

“The best defence against any outbreak is a strong healthcare system”.The overburdened hospitals need an upgrade on every level from their infrastructures to their processes.

To come up with a successful transformation plan, organizations in the healthcare industry will need to consider a few key points:

Ensuring Regulatory Sync Up and Synergy.
Establishing a new normal through strategic Digital Initiatives

Utilizing Next-Gen adjudication systems.

Impact on Health Care Professionals and Private Health Care Providers:

We can expect our country to re-skill its healthcare workers by implementing training processes and professional education curricula. Post pandemic, due to an unprecedented toll on healthcare workers, there might be an inevitable spike in burnouts among the healthcare staff. More than burnouts, we may see front-liners with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The private sector had offered the government all the support it needs, be it testing support, preparing isolation beds for patients or deploying equipment and staff. However, this sector is bound to experience a sharp drop in OP footfalls, IP treatment, elective surgeries and International patients.

Impact on Medical devices Industry

The medical devices industry has also taken a hit. Our country imports consumables, disposables and capital equipment including orthopaedic implants, gloves, syringes, CT and MRI devices from China. Due to the current crisis, medical device manufacturers across the country are finding it difficult to source raw materials and electronic components from the Chinese factories. This can also put upward pressure on the prices of medical devices in the short term.

Focus on TeleHealth

The Government of India has been leveraging the potential of digital health care and initiated its journey by introducing the Aarogya Setu app, revising the telemedicine practice guidelines, and promoting both the National eHealth Authority and e-Sanjeevani. Factors such as increased Internet penetration, DISHA (Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act) and Ayushman Bharat are expected to promote a digital health revolution in India.

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Customer Support

The number of telehealth consults has risen exponentially during this pandemic and it will multiply manifolds post- COVID-19. During this outbreak, with an increase in queries and lack of live agents, AI-powered customer support can be used as the first line of communication.
Healthcare professionals are also opting for chatbots for checking symptoms  and accordingly suggest remedies or schedule appointments. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a favourable impact on ePharmacies. Continued operations during the lockdowns, coupled with a high demand for medicines, drove positive consumer behaviour. The companies would need to strengthen their supply chain and form a new integrated model for ePharma.

Diagnostics Industry

There is an expectation of phenomenal growth for the diagnostics industry. One of the key challenges while treating patients through telemedicine is of monitoring patients vitals such as BP, heart rate variability etc. Lack of equipment and facilities at home will strengthen the adoption of wearables and diagnostics through remote/contactless care.

Focus on Sustainable Solutions

We all had to experiment with digital solutions, be it virtual meetings for work, online classes for students and virtual events instead of in-person conferences. These proved not only to be effective but also an environmentally-friendly way to operate in a connected world.
The outbreak has laid bare the deficiencies in our health system which heralds the onset of clear and irreversible changes to come.

India is one of the biggest markets for healthcare services consumption. Our population coupled with our industry capabilities is likely to ensure a more robust ‘Make in India’ initiative in the years to come. Healthcare is a necessity and not a luxury, this segment is likely to show exponential growth.

COVID-19 offers a silver lining for eHealth platforms -to embrace change, join forces, and to innovate, creating real value in the healthcare ecosystem.The COVID-19 saga will come to an end without a doubt. However, post-pandemic, life will be significantly different. Thermal sensors will be incorporated in our daily life & digital transformation will be prevalent leading to a healthcare industry equipped with rapid management crisis capabilities. The urgent steps that have been taken to make the health care system more flexible and innovative during the COVID-19 pandemic should not be forgotten once the crisis is over. Many of these steps need to become central features of the health care system to ensure that if such a situation knocks our door again, we will be all set to sail through the storm.

Miss Christy Sojan, II Pharm.D