Need to Rope in Private Sector Hospitals in the Fight against COVID

I have new article on why we "Need to Rope in Private Sector Hospitals in the Fight against COVID"

My key points are as follows:

"Why is there no effort from the Union Government to bring out a comprehensive policy framework to engage private hospitals across the country to augment the efforts of public health systems in the fight against COVID-19?"

"Lack of a unified public policy to rope in private hospitals paves only confusion and contradiction in the collective fight against the pandemic."

We should make a strategic plan for effective partnership with private hospitals and make them part of the country’s strategy in the fight against COVID-19." 

Interesting Read

The following are some interesting reading, i happen to read and ponder!

1. China’s opacity contributed to spiralling corona infections and deaths. Its geopolitical effects will be long lasting
2. UN, WTO and now WHO: Ailing acronyms all
3. Was Islamic Conquest of India Easy for Muslim Invaders
4. The saga of lockdown: India has shown extraordinary solidarity, forbearance and leadership skills
5. A perception battle too is going on

Interesting Reading

The following are some of interesting analysis of ongoing Coronavirus and its implications on Indian economy and the world.

The court should not make 'policy' for government..... to implement rather it should be only sticking to the law.

A production model that could guide an economic resumption

The Threat from the Tablighi Jamaat

After China & WHO failed to take proactive measures, response by Modi led India is sustained & Participatory

Economic Policy in the Age of Coronavirus

The following are two interesting discussion on post COVID19 economic reforms and possible global order for trade and technology & services.

ToI Co-hosts Arvind Panagariya and Pravin Krishna speak with Sajjid Chinoy, Chief India Economist of JPMorgan, on the economic impact of and policy response to Covid-19.

Prof RV on how the World is going to change post-COVID-19 P1

COVID-19: Time to Review Governance Structure of Global Institutions?

This is my latest piece on the ongoing war against COVID19. 
My main point is this:

'During a pandemic, is it wise to divide the affected people according to their nationalities and deport them to their countries? Does it not further lead to the spread of the disease among millions of people? We should try to answer these questions and think of the possibility of setting up a powerful and well-equipped global institution with a good governance system that can support the medical treatment of people affected by diseases like COVID-19 in the same country where they work and live.'

War against Coronavirus and indifferent global institutions

can anyone believe that the current WHO Director General is not a medical profession doctor? can you also believe that he is a politician from Ethiopia!! how bizarre this to note

can our leftist friends question his incompetence and inability to manage the crisis like Coronavirus even after couple of months of extreme dangerous spread over all continents.

There are news items telling us that our Prime Minister is stressing for reforming the governance structure of WHO. Its high time to reform not just the WHO but all UN funded institutions which are running with absolute control of developed nations with colonial mindsets which will not suite for 21st century crisis.

It is not usually time to ponder on an issue. It has become desperate to find oneself with the polity of global institutions like WHO which is not doing its right job. The following are some odd posts but yet must read posts for one who is interested:

The Silver Lining to the Chinese Virus

Taiwan Accuses WHO of Failing to Heed Warning of Coronavirus Human-to-Human Transmission

Shruti Rajagopalan on India and the coronavirus

Of that ruining tales of Indian growth story

Some links:

Shankkar Aiyar quotes while analyzing the current political economy of India:

Voltaire said, “We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.”

Mark Twain said “invest in land as they don’t make it anymore”.

Free marketeers turn Marxists- At least, I am not surprised to see these free marketeers turning to Marxists. 

Very interesting thoughts on health economics. "Master the gold standard of strength training first.".

Interesting reading

The great liberal Rajaji propounded that the State funded election expenditure should be the norm instead of corrupted political party funded election system. Professor Indiresan really pushes the arguments made by stalwarts like Rajaji on What can deter political corruption?

Poor will never ever govern the economy to achieve the ever aspiring higher prosperity in society.

Ramachandra Guha on "the national interest is regularly subordinated to partisan point-scoring." 

Aakar Patel on Casting out Boardrooms in India


Arun and Sudhir Krishnaswami analysis (pdf) on Healthcare Law in the US and the RTE in India Steps towards Universal Provision of Social Goods

Good time, bad news

First, Gujarat CM gave very interesting interview to ET but not surprising at least to me. It is must read whether you like him or not. Also read this news story.


Second, Arvind had nice piece on healthcare law of United States of America in the DNA. 


Third, read the cover story on economist Montek titled The Riddler on the Roop.


Forth, read this Mint news item carefully written: "But that in no way diminishes our respect for a man who has been part of a group of able policy economists which helped redesign Indian economic policy after 1980. By helping put India on a path of faster growth, these men have done far more for the poor than the busybodies and peddlers of poverty porn who are now attacking him."

Govt-cut

"A World Bank study by Das and Hammer found that more than half the treatments suggested by government doctors were likely to make patients worse, not better."

“Juvenile delusion” of using senses

Assam is the first State to Guarantee Right to Health in India. It is nothing but bizarre in the Indian society.

As GMU Professor Don Boudreaux put it rightly:

“Talking about “rights” to scarce goods and services sounds right only to persons who are economically illiterate, politically naive, and suffering the juvenile delusion that reality is optional.”

The apathy of Public Services

Dayal writes:

“A study on competence level of doctors in the PHCs found, in treating diarrhoea, that a typical doctor often recommended harmful therapies. According to a 2005 Transparency International study, healthcare services account for 27% of the bribes paid for public services in the country. Again, if public doctors miss their clinic opening timings or render poor service, they still get their salary.”

Sex, Stress & Drugs

From ToI

• “A survey by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) shows that 22.5% of the sex workers were addicted to marijuana, heroin and other drugs. At least 75% of the sex workers surveyed were either randomly or regularly using various addictive substances such as gutkha and cigarettes.
• The report prepared by DCW along with NGO STOP is based on a survey of a representative sample of 400 sex workers carried out at the end of 2008 and collated into a study.
• The survey states that 90% of the sex workers constantly chew tobacco mainly to kill their appetite and deal with stress, 57.5% smoke and 20% consume alcohol. At least 10% revealed that they had used heroin and another 5% had smoked marijuana. At least 7.5% admitted to have tried other varieties of drugs.
• As per the study, 70.7% of the respondents said that they want to quit substance abuse but are finding it extremely difficult to do so. The DCW report asserts: ‘‘GB Road has a huge market for drugs and one exploitative industry is supporting illegal trade of deadly drugs.’’
• The data shows that 60% of the respondents were unable to get adequate sleep while another 33.3% complained of tension.
• Besides this, health problems abound among sex workers. As many as 46.5% of those surveyed admitted to have suffered from sexually transmitted diseases. That many are vulnerable to HIV\AIDS is highlighted by the fact that 50.5% sex workers admitted to not using condoms. The remaining of the respondents said that they were using protection.
• According to social activists, sex workers end up getting hooked to alcohol as the customers sometimes carry their own liquor and the sex workers themselves too offer liquor to appease customers. Some of the clients even carry potent drugs like heroin and ask the sex workers to try them”

There is no such thing as Healthcare as Human Right!

Read New paper released by International Policy Network

Halal food and headscarves

Bibek Debroy (Keynotes On The Economy on) C. Rangarajan new book

• Stated simply, in an attempt to increase the number of essays in the book, and give it greater length (good for publishers), Rangarajan has mixed chaff with wheat and diluted quality. It becomes worse for the two essays of unspecified parentage. Of these, there is some lean meat in Essay 17 on financial inclusion. But Essay 25 on financial crisis and its fallout is not deserving of Chakravarthi Rangarajan. Not that there is anything wrong in the essay, but it deserves only to be a newspaper article.

Read also

Public Plan Mirage

How The Swiss Do It?

Economics Versus Extremism

Max Speciality, a shocking death!

Mint report that “A person familiar with the situation said Bhuyan had been admitted for a triple bypass heart surgery. There was, he said, an error with the tubes when Bhuyan was hooked to the heart-lung machine. Instead of the tube that transports blood, a tube supplying compressed oxygen was inserted into his aorta. “The doctors and technicians realized their mistake in seconds but he died of an overdose of oxygen,” he added. He did not want to be identified”.