Does India need ministry of public health? – Lessons learnt from COVID-19 and road ahead

World over there has been debates on the current emer gency of COVID-19 and where we failed? Comparing the Spanish Flu 1918 (1) and the COVID-19, it is clear that the prevention strategies like social distancing, hand washing, and mask use, remains only hope for fast-spreading emergencies or disasters like COVID-19 (2). As compared to Spanish Flu-1918, population density is more now and people move across the globe much faster due to the vast network of air travel, posing greater risk to exposed populations. Even today, the challenge remains the lack of vaccines, shortage of appropriate equipment, and healthcare manpower. The basic role of the World Health Organisation and Alma Ata Declaration 1978 was strengthening primary and preventive care by the year 2000 (3). However, the world supported technology to the extent that now we are left with the only option to lockdown city after city across more than 200 counties. India looked at the options of strengthening of the health system but tilted towards lop-sided crowding of tertiary care in urban areas and all-round neglect of health system in rural areas, where more than 70% of its population resides. Some of the thinkers suggested segregating healthcare services, health research, and public health as independent but interrelated pillars of people’s health (4).