IMPORTANCE OF STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN THE INDIAN HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM TO FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

COVID-19 which is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern is now major concern all over the world. India also got its 1st case on 30th January, 2020. So far, there are 9,125 confirmed cases with 308 deaths of COVID-19 in spite of lockdown from 25th March. The pandemic will continue to grow until the specific medicine for treating the disease will emerge. India already has manpower shortage in the country. There is one allopathic doctor against 10,926 people. This pandemic is going to increase the gap of manpower shortage to a certain extent that the govt. may needs to think on the structural change in the Indian health care delivery system. Nurses may be a better option to train and give them free hand to prescribe and treat independently COVID-19 patients; which will be effective to combat the gap.