A multi-state stakeholder consultation in Ahmedabad on Wednesday discussed recommendations from the Lancet Commission report on a citizen-centred health system. Participants highlighted uneven quality of care, fragmented delivery and gaps in mental health services in India's health system.
A multi-state stakeholder consultation took place in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, organised by SEWA’s health initiative Lok Swasthya SEWA at the Indian Academy for Self Employed Women (IASEW). Participants from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh discussed recommendations from the Lancet Commission report aimed at building an integrated health system in India to address current concerns. Mirai Chatterjee, director of social security at the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and a commissioner on the Lancet panel, pointed to “uneven quality of care, fragmented delivery and poor governance” in India’s health system. She flagged rising mental health issues and gaps in last-mile implementation, particularly a lack of mental health services at the primary level and local counsellors. “What stands out in our report is that it starts with citizens’ needs and aspirations—not the system,” Chatterjee said. “But we are also seeing clear gaps, especially in mental health services at the primary level and a lack of local counsellors.” Vikram Patel, co-chair of the Commission and professor at Harvard Medical School, stressed that a “high-performing, publicly financed and publicly provided, integrated healthcare delivery system” remains central to achieving universal health coverage. The meeting called for citizen-led reforms to bridge these gaps.