Day 2

Day 2 of our site visits to India's Health Sector just finished and there is already so much food for thought (and also food in my belly) that it is hard to decide which to discuss. The generosity and information provided by the organizations at each 0f the three visits so far, The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Super Religare Labroatories, and Anand & Anand, has been astounding. Today, we were especially lucky to be able to go see an IP case at the Indian courts followed directly by a briefing at Anand & Anand - a BU India Field Seminar first!

One of the insights that has struck me through out our visits is the similarities between the Indian Health Sector and that of the U.S. Despite obvious cultural differences, there are basic issues at the core of each health sector that within each country share. One such similarity between the two countries was address by both the PHFI and Super Religare is that patients do not want to know when they are sick and thus only seek treatment when sickness is obvious, usually after it is too late to treat. This is also a constant issue for U.S. clinicians, including those who I've had the privilege to work with at Boston Medical Center, who treat underprivileged populations. Each organization grapples with how to get patients to seek preventative treatment before it is too late. For Super Religare, their target patients seem a bit better off that those at BMC and are only seeking diagnostic care, but the question is the same: How do you get patients to realize that although their current health may seem fine, preventive measures are necessary in order to insure continued health? One could follow this question with: How do you get patients to adhere to prescribed treatment regimes, when they need to choose between paying their prescription or paying for other items they need, like dinner or school supplies for their children? It will be interesting to see what other similarities exist and how organizations in India are addressing issues similar to those in the U.S. as we visit more sites over the next 12 days.