Articles by Imrana Qadeer

The public distribution system is criticised for encouraging the poor to satiate their hunger with cheap cereals at the expense of other non-cereal food items, thus indirectly aggravating deficiencies of protein and other nutrients. An in-depth analysis shows that this is not actually so; the consumption of some non-cereal foods increases with the consumption of cereals, indicating a complementary relationship. This becomes possible through the implicit savings the PDS generates for its beneficiaries, due to subsidised cereal prices. Despite this, nutrient deficiency among poorer sections persists, and a comprehensive expansion of the PDS introducing certain non-cereal foods into its ambit can help tackle this issue.

The official and media discourse in India often focuses on the cumulative or daily detection of infected cases irrespective of the number of people tested and thus confuses the issue of disease progression. Based on the analysis of the number of infected cases identified and the number of people tested in eight states in India, it is emphasised that identification and quarantine of those who are infected slows down the spread of the disease. Mobilising resources towards the primary healthcare system for expanding contact tracing and investing in additional facilities to quarantine and treat infected patients is suggested.

The National Family Health Survey-3 and 4 data show that in the past 10 years, overweight/obesity among women in terms of Body Mass Index has increased quite sharply. In the Indian context, undernutrition and obesity are not separate problems. A large proportion of overweight/obese women are undernourished, with small stature, food transition towards more fats and increasingly sedentary lifestyles making them vulnerable towards being overweight/obese. More diversified diet reduces the risk of overweight/obesity. It is suggested that adequate and good quality diversified diets need to be ensured for comprehensive energy and nutrient adequacy. This requires an overhaul of India’s food programmes.

Health Care in Bombay Presidency 1896-1930 by Mridula Ramanna (New Delhi: Primus Books), 2012; pp x + 202 (Hb), Rs 795.

It is estimated that the size of the medical tourism market in the country will be Rs 1,95,000 crore in 2012. Based on a literature review of healthcare business media, policy documents and a few academic papers, this essay looks at the scope for medical tourism in India and situates it within the Asian context. It traces shifts in policy with the growth of a tertiary corporate health sector that is urban-centric, and subject to minimal regulation and monitoring. The State acts primarily as a steward. The essay also examines the implications of medical tourism for general medical care and how such policy shifts distort health systems. This analysis raises questions of accessibility, affordability, and ethics in medical care, and asks if it is sensible to promote medical tourism in a democratic welfare state, with poor public healthcare facilities for the masses.