EDITORIA
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EDITORIAL
The provisioning of health care in our country is well and truly facing winds of change. The liberalisation and opening up of the the insurance sector, and the appointment of 18 Third Party Administration (TPA's) by the four major public sector insurance companies to service their claims assumes importance, as optimal insurance policies are likely to reduce out of pocket expenses. The recently adopted Natural Health Policy advocates user charges in secondary and tertiary level public sector hospitals as a means of cost recovery in the light of diminishing budgetary allocations. New concepts like rating of hospitals by independent agencies like CRISIL and ICRA are bound to generate enthusiasm amongst hospital administrators so as get better ratings for drawing increased patients. Some experts have suggested funds of National Accreditation Council to undertake this gigantic task the shift in emphasis to Indian System of medicine is aimed at providing were "socio - culturally acceptable" health care to the largely rural population in the country.
Recently, a significant development in Karnataka has the potential of changing the system of health care delivery in our country, where the management of primary Health Centres has been given to Non Governmental organisation, or medical college trusts who would be provided some grant in aid to manage them. Only these PHC's whose performance has been below average will be handed over in the first phase. Similarly the state of Maharastra is trying with the idea of introducing a three year diploma in medicine" for students in rural areas to produce half doctors who would be willing to work in the largely understand moral areas.
In there times of change a Hospital administrator whether in the public or private sector, needs to keep abreast of recent developments in order to fulfill expectation of all stakeholders. This issue of the journal is a special issue to commemorate the organising of an International Conference "Hospitrends 2002" Academy of Hospital Administrator, where these new areas will discussed debated and deliberated upon.
A Chakravarti
