Healthcare Co-Operatives: Possible Third Realm of Healthcare in India

Healthcare is an important public policy concern in all countries. Effective delivery of healthcare to all the people is always a major challenge faced by many including India. The present twin modes in this country - public and private healthcare systems- combined together remains grossly inadequate to meet the constantly increasing healthcare demands of the large population, a majority of whom live in rural areas. In the wake of continuing incapacity of existing systems and impacting factors like cost, access etc., need arises to find out ‘new ways and structures’ of delivery of healthcare.Globally, healthcare co-operatives, are being viewed as ‘third realm’ of healthcare system and already new interest in such co-operatives is growing. India’s experience in the co-operative movement in general spans more than a century. Moreover, co-operatives in different health segments - hospitals, health education, training in health work, paramedical, health insurance - have already been tried in different states (Kerala, Gujarat, Bengal, Punjab, Tamil Nadu) since 1920s. Of course, the previous Indian experience in healthcare co-operatives presents a mixed bag of success and failures.In the context of the failure of existing modes of healthcare delivery, in the light of growing global interest in healthcare co-operatives and in the background of the country’s earlier experience in this sphere, it becomes highly relevant to renew focus on co-operatives, rectifying the defects identified so far. This articles argues a case for establishing ‘the third realm’ in healthcare, the healthcare co-operatives in India.