Health Beyond Medicine:: Some Reflections On The Politics And Sociology Of Health In India

Healthis A Socially Produced Phenomenon Which Expresses Itself Biologically. This Notwithstanding, Rather Than Emphasize Provisioning Of Social Conditions That Lead To Goodhealth, The Emphasis Of Policy Makers Is On Provisioning Ofhealthcare Services As An Expedient To Ensuring PeopleShealth. As Regards Social Determinants Ofhealththe Underlying Presumption Seems To Be That Gdp Growth Will Automatically Take Care Of It In Due Course Of Time. However, It Seems The Fear That Addressing The Social Determinants Ofhealthwould Entail A Radical Transformation Of Society Itself Which Has Kept The Rulers Away From Taking Any Meaningful Action In This Regard.Thehealthworkforce Is Also Trained To Conceptualizehealthproblems And Their Possible Solutions From The Perspective Of The Haves Rather Than That Of The Impoverished Majority. Caste, Class, Gender, Religion And Ethnicity Are Important Determinants Ofhealthoutcomes Which Nohealthservices System Can Afford To Ignore. Above All, There Is A Need To Understand The Politics That Zealously Guards The Present State Of Affairs; And The Politics That We Need To Engage With For Our Redemption. This Book Seeks To Remove The Analytical Blinkers Put On Our Minds By The Ruling Elite Such That We Can Clearly See The Links Between The Social, Economic And Political Structure Of Our Society, Thehealthservices System As It Has Evolved And Thehealthof The People. Doing So Is The First Step To Doing The Rest.