* There is little doubt that the poor in India cannot look after their health by themselves or through private insurance funding. However, this should not prevent government from trying to increase the reach of insurance by partially subsidizing it for the poor. That will surely bring more people under its umbrella.

* Completely state run hospitals are unable to rise above the challenges of inefficient bureaucracy and rampant corruption. The only answer there is to bring private efficiency into these systems through public-private partnerships, where a part of the healthcare could be completely free and the other part paid, depending on the patient's socio-economic class.\

* Doctors, nurses and other professionals are incentivized to work in these systems (not pressured through mandatory posting) so that they themselves want to work there. Such incentives will include adequate modern housing complexes equipped with all the amenities of basic living and financial compensations much more than what one earns in a city. It will provide employment and a good living standard to our doctors and nurses at home and prevent overcrowding and too much competition in overcrowded urban areas.

* All this will require considerable investment, but it is not beyond the reach of an economically growing India. These health townships, hospitals, and clinics can be funded through joint involvement of state, the profit seeking private sector, and the charitable organizations.

* We should work to increase charitable donations in the field of healthcare and medical researches to part fund these public-private hospitals/clinics and foster more research. There will be tough competition from religious establishments and "gods" but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

Access to basic healthcare is a basic human right and it is the responsibility of any civilized society to provide this to all its members. How long are we going to condone the current state of affairs in India? Poor access to healthcare in a society has implications that go much beyond health, and has the potential to damage the very fabric of our society. Our medical and nursing colleges need not be the machineries to create work forces for developed western nations. People need this help here and they need it now.

—The author is Chairman, Webmed Limited, Durham, UK