What is the American Medical Association (AMA) president's stance on healthcare?

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the AMA, advocates for shifting healthcare investments towards prevention, lifestyle medicine, and primary care, rather than solely focusing on treating advanced diseases.

How is the Indian Medical Association (IMA) strengthening primary healthcare?

The IMA has adopted 2,000 villages across India to enhance and strengthen primary healthcare services at the grassroots level.

What is the scale of visual impairment in India according to Dr. G.N. Rao?

Dr. G.N. Rao noted that India accounts for nearly a fifth of the world's blind population, with about 8 million people blind and 40% experiencing severe visual impairment.

Home / Health / Shift to Prevention: Doctors Urge Healthcare Overhaul

Shift to Prevention: Doctors Urge Healthcare Overhaul

18 Jan

•

Summary

Doctors advocate shifting healthcare from disease treatment to prevention.
Current focus on advanced illness treatment increases costs and lowers outcomes.
Prevention, lifestyle medicine, and primary care are significantly underfunded.

Shift to Prevention: Doctors Urge Healthcare Overhaul

At a recent Indo-US Doctors Meet in Hyderabad, medical professionals strongly advocated for a paradigm shift in healthcare systems, emphasizing a move from treating established diseases to prioritizing preventive measures. The current focus on managing advanced illnesses is identified as a primary driver of escalating healthcare costs and suboptimal health outcomes for the population.

Speakers noted that substantial healthcare investments are directed towards treating conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer, while preventive care, lifestyle medicine, and primary healthcare services are significantly underfunded. This imbalance, they argued, weakens public health infrastructure and contributes to issues like high maternal mortality rates, despite medical advancements.