Twelfth Five Year Plan (India)

The Twelfth Five Year plan for health services in India covering 2012-2017[1] was formulated based on the recommendation of a High Level Experts Group (HLEG) and other stakeholder consultations.

It takes solace from the HLEG report which admits that, "the transformation of India's health system to become an effective platform for UHC is an evolutionary process that will span several years".

It was easy for the government to recruit poor women as ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers but it has failed to bring doctors, nurses and specialist in this area.

A recent study pointed out that access to advanced medical facilities under a single roof was the main reason for the choice of private hospitals in both rural and urban areas.

The second major reason for private healthcare preference was proximity of the facility in the rural area and approachability and friendly conduct of doctors and staff in the urban centers.