Story in Numbers: Vital signs of health care delivery in India

In a three-tier structured level of public health care, the district hospital forms an integral and vital part of the health care delivery system. A total of 810 district hospitals across India provide critical services to the population.

When patients reach any given district hospital, they expect a doctor in the required medical specialty to be available at the outpatient depar­t­ment to diagnose and treat health disorders and prescribe tests and medicines, which can then be obtai­ned at the pharmacy in the hospital.

If the doctor orders diagnostic tests, the patient can get them done at a laboratory by a technician at that particular point of care. If the doctor recommends admission, the patient can get a bed at the hospital. If a higher-level medical intervention, such as surgery, is suggested, the patient can be operated upon within a reasonable period of time. During the patient’s stay at the hospital, he/she is cared for by on-duty nurses. After surgery, the patient should recover without any infection.

The hospital ecosystem is expected to maintain acceptable levels of hygiene and cleanliness. These are standard expectations of any patient visiting a district hospital anywhere in the world. All these essential components form links in a delicate health care chain that determine the patient’s experience. Inefficiencies and inadequacies in any of the departments can frustrate the patient and adversely impact the health outcomes and the overall reputation of the hospital.

Based on Indian Public Health Standards, NITI Aayog prepared a ranking of district hospitals. Listed alongside are the top scorers – and Uttar Pradesh’s score as it goes to polls.
 

Source: Niti Aayog