Healthcare Delivery Systems at Higher Educational Institutions in India

BACKGROUND: The interrelation between health and academic performance is well established. Academic institutions have a larger mandate, beyond academic instruction alone. The objective is to contribute holistically to student development through various paradigms, ultimately culminating in student success. To meet the global challenges of a changing educational system, educational institutions today are therefore vying to be Centers of Excellence, aiming to develop the overall personality of the student. Fundamental to this ideology and with student success as the common denominator, student Wellness assumes critical significance. Higher education institutions, especially universities offer varying levels of healthcare services. Health Promoting University (HPU) projects have therefore been implemented in the West. Unlike in the West, the concept of a Health Promoting University is nascent in India. METHODS: A total of 1071 responses to a structured questionnaire administered to the students were studied. RESULTS: In general, there appears to be a lack of awareness regarding the importance of addressing student healthcare issues. Consequently, the spectrum of healthcare services provided is varied and scattered. This encompasses infrastructure, manpower, resource allocation etc. CONCLUSIONS: The collective responses obtained could provide the basis for a policy formulation. The policy formulation in turn could be the basis of a national consensus for health care delivery systems operational at higher educational institutions in India.