Health care is a developing segment in India. Even today, not everyone has access to the right health and wellness resources in the country. This causes diseases to catapult and grow, laying a burden on hospitals and doctors beyond what they can handle.
To address the problem, primary health care has come into the limelight in recent years. The government as well as health organizations are now focusing on preventive care and the provision of necessary health services.
Let us understand the importance of primary health care from the Indian perspective.
What Is Primary Health Care In India?
Primary care is the link between the patient and the health care system that provides the individual with access to the information and care services they need for optimal health outcomes.
The main purpose of primary care is to improve the overall health of the public and successfully prevent the spread of communicable diseases. It aims to avoid burgeoning pressures on the health system of the country by preventing diseases from spiraling beyond control.
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Primary health care, in this sense, focuses on preventive measures. It also includes building the right infrastructure and creating enough awareness amongst the masses about public health and wellness so that they can make the most of the resources available to them and stay healthy in the long run.
Let’s understand the condition of primary health care in India.
What Is The Condition Of Primary Healthcare In India?
Primary health care is an essential element of the health system in any country. In India, the National Health Mission supports the primary health care system and receives funding from state governments.
However, the overall healthcare condition in India is still not up to par. Even today, Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) are not adequately present and inaccessible in several rural areas. Couple this with the lack of awareness and poor health patterns among the people.
Further, private players are the primary providers of over 70% of the primary healthcare services. This makes health care inaccessible to a large stratum of society that cannot afford the heavy costs related to it.
To make matters grimmer, there is a rise in the incidence of communicable as well as non-communicable diseases. The cause is lifestyle changes and environmental degradation, but it places added pressure on the existing health systems in India.
Before making a decision, it’s essential to understand the importance of primary healthcare in India.
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Importance Of Primary Healthcare In India
We cannot stress the importance of primary healthcare in developing countries enough. Since it includes aspects, such as spreading awareness, creating resources, and providing health care access to the public, you can call it comprehensive care as well.
From the Indian perspective, primary healthcare is important for more reasons than one. It supports the early detection of diseases and helps avoid epidemics or mass health contingencies from arising.
This also enables governments to tackle healthcare costs and prevent situations that can overwhelm the country’s health centers and cause undue pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals.
Having a robust primary healthcare system in place will enable the betterment of community health and thus lead to the betterment of the nation as a whole. It also has several benefits from the economic and business standpoint.
From a business standpoint, what’s the significance of primary health care? We’ll answer that for you below.
Better care, better results: Importance Of Preventive Healthcare For Employees In India
5 Key Benefits Of Primary Healthcare For Businesses
While you have understood the importance of primary health care from the macro perspective above, let’s understand its key benefits for companies and businesses.
1. Lower absenteeism
By providing primary care for employees, companies can reduce instances of absenteeism at the workplace. Enabling businesses to arrest attached costs too.
2. Higher productivity
Employees who receive timely medical help remain fitter and happier in the long run. A mentally and physically sound workforce displays enhanced overall performance and achieves better revenues.
3. Stronger company culture
Including primary care as part of the health benefits at work can help companies enhance workplace culture and make it more employee-centric. This has several positive effects on the business now and in the future.
4. Better employee loyalty
Extending primary care benefits to your employees shows them you care. By doing so, companies can earn better employee loyalty and enhance retention rates. It also helps attract top talent from the market.
5. Tax benefits
Providing comprehensive health care and insurance can enable companies to save taxes. This is because health benefits account as a prerequisite and can be claimed for deductions under the Income Tax Act.
Read more: Are Group Health Insurance Premiums Tax Deductible?
Preventive Health Care With Loop
At Loop, preventive care is at the center of all our offerings. Our comprehensive healthcare plans enable companies to extend free primary care to employees by enabling 24/7 access to a dedicated panel of specialist doctors and physicians.
In addition to this, our health insurance schemes also include holistic mental health support and access to complimentary wellness sessions each month.
To know more, get in touch with us.