Public Health for Developing Countries-A review of 2-book series
Recent Advances in Community Medicine and Public Health Volume 1 and Volume 2 published in 2023
Hereby, I am sharing eminent scientists in the field of community medicine from India who have worked for years in the field and compiled the following two books which describe some themes that will be of help in developing and resource poor settings. It is also helpful for those places which are affluent by default but the public health system is not good, with low quality and high cost of healthcare.
Both books are written well and all the authors have contributed their expertise according to their own creativity. These books are good for public health experts, medical writers, health journalism and health nurses and scientists from all over the world. From Japan’s prefectures to Indian blocks, we have a whole lot of diversity with unique health problems, all being managed uniquely, distinctly and similarly everywhere. When we look for the Thailand model of development, we see a health insurance system that bypasses the old and not working people, who have to utilize private health insurance. This fact intrigued me to understand why only their working power has insurance coverage of healthcare in the public healthcare system. That means, work is worshipped and it helps develop the working force of a country, and provide them with good education so that they can take care of their dependents. Such arrangement was new to me. This was a trigger for me to set out and read these books and better understand my field of practice in India through these great experts who are a part of the doctor fraternity of India, working as Jacks of all Trades as the subject demands. I have shared the contents of both the books and if anyone interested in understanding the socio-cultural part of India in terms and vocabulary of public health, is welcome to buy these books.
Book Title:
Recent Advances in Community Medicine and Public Health Volume 2
Editors:
Ranabir Pal, Amrita Ghosh, Amit Agrawal, Subhasish Chatterejee, Swapan Kumar Paul, Murlimanju BV
Paperback Price:
Rs. 1499
ISBN no. 978–81–19492–46–6
I have read chapter 3 and 8 for the beginning. Spiritual health measurement tool was very well researched and developed. It is a very good tool in the Indian context. I have personally spoken to the author of this chapter, Dr Kusum Lata Gaur, who has dedicated herself to spiritual health ever-since her middle-age. She was very happy in describing her unique validation techniques which are a must read for spiritual health enthusiasts.
Chapter 8, of course I read because more than my country’s model, I was learned about the Thailand model. Reason being, I have never been doing the administrative work since past 2 years in my current job and there were new developments since then. The latest financial system of India is well described and helpful for public health enthusiasts who are studying money mechanisms, in which case the Indian model is not left behind and has become latest and innovative in all sense bringing equitable and inclusive health care.
This is a modest book, without many accolades or Press Conference or flashy expertise. It is a very grounded work from people who are not known to us. Yet, there is plethora of information for health enthusiasts. It is their humble effort.
India’s Health System by K. Sujatha Rao is an extremely good book written by an ex-bureaucrat. As compared to it, this book is more latest and not a bestseller like the former, but I think it should be read by those who want to improve health system in their working area.
Book Title:
Recent Advances in Community Medicine and Public Health Volume 1
Editors:
Ranabir Pal, Sumit Kar, Amrita Ghosh, Amit Agrawal, Murlimanju BV
Paperback Price: Rs. 899
ISBN no. 978–93–95581–80–6
Chapter 11 is the best written in the book and is very well articulated with diagrammatic presentations. For those working in India, it is an ideal chapter to improve quality healthcare delivery. In our private institutes, such quality is variously distributed according to resources. But the chapter is a benchmark stating all aspects of quality assurance. This is a must have book for all public health experts. Those health scientists on Medium, especially working in developing countries must buy volume 1, it is well written, diverse and contains meaningful information.
I read chapter 12 also, AYUSH and Public Health. AYUSH is nothing but alternate systems of medicine. I have described AYUSH in cardiac health in my book on “Preventive Cardiology-A community medicine perspective”. Therefore, I wanted to know about how the author has described the application of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy in terms of primary health care. Knowing something that most population follows without questioning helps the allopathic system to learn the best medicine for an ailment treating the community exactly, with precision and not empirically. What suits a patient best according to his unique circumstances is what I feel is the need of the hour, and so, promotion of AYUSH is well ingrained in our National Health System.
That said, I would suggest these books to all Indian health experts, and experts from other developing countries or developed with poor public health systems, truly stating that “My Health, My Right”.
