Healthcare Service Delivery Models for Emerging Economies: Insights from India

With the population growing at such a fast pace, expected to reach 1.4 billion by 2022, and more than 70% reside in rural areas, effective healthcare service delivery serves as a primary challenge in India. Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched in 2018 by the Government of India to serve the requirement for comprehensive primary healthcare. This case provides an overview of Ayushman Bharat regarding its impact compared to cross-subsidized models like Aravind Eye Care System (AECS) and Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH) and completely free healthcare delivery by Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals (SSSSH). The case outlines the background and the operational model and also emphasizes on core principles of its founders, which have translated into a massive success. The case aims to ignite a discussion on their dynamic execution approach and how these models will evolve if replicated in high-volume government schemes. The emerging discussion points are expected to challenge the conventional beliefs in the health delivery system and expose the major lacunae in implementation, which shrinks the impact of nationwide schemes. The purpose is to ignite a discussion on the differences in strategies and execution of government schemes like the National Health Mission compared to the highly impactful one-person visionaries like AECS, NH and SSSSH. The case is a classic example of the operations strategy coupled with ethics and social responsibility towards improving the health and wellness quotient in the state.