PlanCom, World Bank commission studies on health care

The Planning Commission and the World Bank have commissioned two studies on health care. While one of these will look at issues linked to accessibility and affordability of medicines in India, the other would focus on responsible usage of medicines. IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, which will conduct these studies, is expected to submit reports by the end of this year.

"Access is a big issue in India. We will look at the pathways to medicines and where there are gaps, we will make recommendations," IMS Institute executive director Murray L Aitken said.

The Planning Commission had earlier commissioned a similar study by an expert panel, headed by K Srinath Reddy. The panel on Universal Health Coverage, constituted by the Commission in October 2010, had a mandate of developing a framework for providing easily accessible and affordable health care. However, the committee's recommendations, submitted in November 2011, are yet to be endorsed by the Planning Commission.

According to government officials, one of the key recommendations of the panel that failed to garner support from the Commission is the use of general taxation as the principal source of health care financing - complemented by additional mandatory deductions for health care from salaried individuals and tax payers, either as a proportion of taxable income or as a proportion of salary.

The latest commissioning of a separate study to IMS on the same subject is seen by many as an attempt to gather a different view against the high level panel's recommendations. However, IMS managing director - South Asia Amit Backliwal rejected such arguments by saying IMS was only trying to bridge gaps between various stakeholders by dwelling on contentious issues through its report.

"We will look at what is it that everyone is agreeing on and what are the faction areas. While this will enable to smoothen and fast-track certain policy decisions, where there is a consensus, on the other hand, it will help build a consensus through dialogue, wherever it's absent," Backliwal said.

The other report, commissioned by the World Bank, will focus on issues such as medication errors, antibiotic misuses and use of generic medicines in India and Bangladesh.

According to Murray, while both the studies will take into account the existing IMS market data and prescription data collected through over 4,000 doctors across the country, the study in collaboration with the Planning Commission will also look at the contentious issues related to pricing and affordability of medicines that lie between various stakeholders such as the policy makers, the industry and patient groups.