The Emerging ‘Health Care Industry’ in India: A Public Health Perspective

Abstract

Corporate hospitals are becoming a significant presence within the ‘health care’ industry in India. There is strong advocacy and promotion by the industry, and the government, of the idea that health care infrastructure should not just be viewed as a social good but also as a viable economic venture with productivity. Yet, the discourse on privatisation, on the public–private divide in health systems does not pay attention to the spread of corporate sector activities and corporate financing in health care; to the increasing commercialisation of health services. This brief note highlights some recent trends and features of the hospitals sector of the ‘health care industry’ in India. There is a need to document and analyse the practices and behaviour of the hospital industry, and examine the impact of these changes for the public health systems, for policy and planning in public health, from a critical public health perspective.