Expert views: what the next Indian government should do for health and healthcare.

The healthcare sector in India should be given national priority status. Our healthcare infrastructure needs huge augmentation, and the government should support this with multiple tax incentives. The limiting factor beyond infrastructure is personnel, and an enabling regulatory structure to scale up staff numbers is essential. Improving primary and secondary care is crucial, but in addition the new government must look into making quality tertiary care a lot more accessible and affordable to all in need. Health insurance coverage will improve access to quality healthcare. The future of healthcare will be defined by collaborative efforts. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) need more encouragement, with an increasing role for government as the financier of healthcare rather than the provider. This would require a national regulatory framework for PPPs. It is equally important that we develop mechanisms to regulate quality of care.