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If doctors could change just one thing about India's health, the answer may not be another hospital, a new piece of medical technology or a more advanced treatment. Several doctors believe the bigger need is to make healthcare more preventive, accessible and focused on early detection. India has made significant progress in hospitals, diagnostics, specialised care and medical technology. Yet many people continue to seek medical attention only after symptoms become difficult to ignore or a disease has already progressed. Doctors say changing this pattern could have a major impact on the country's health outcomes, particularly as lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and heart disease become increasingly common.
Prevention Needs To Become The First Step
Dr Shrikant Sharma, Director - Neurosciences, Kailash Healthcare, believes that strengthening prevention and identifying health risks earlier could make a significant difference to Indian healthcare. According to him, India has already made substantial advances in advanced medical care, diagnostics and specialised treatment. The next opportunity is to ensure that people identify potential health risks before they develop into serious diseases. Healthcare is increasingly moving towards a more proactive model, where preventive screening, health monitoring and personalised medical advice complement conventional treatment. This approach is particularly important for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Many of these conditions can develop gradually, sometimes without obvious symptoms. Regular monitoring can therefore help identify changes before complications occur. The emphasis, doctors say, should shift from simply asking, "How do we treat this disease?" to also asking, "How could we have identified this risk earlier?"
India Also Needs To Address Self-Medication
Prevention, however, is not only about screening and health check-ups. Dr Chirag Tandon, Director, Internal Medicine, ShardaCare-HealthCity, highlights another issue he believes needs urgent attention: the widespread and inappropriate use of medicines, particularly antibiotics. He says the misuse and over-the-counter availability of medicines can become a serious public health concern. "This abuse of chemicals and antibiotics and drugs by the chemist, by the pharmacist, by your relatives, by your friends, through Google needs to stop," says Dr Tandon. He believes the solution needs to work at two levels. First, health education should begin early, with younger generations taught about responsible healthcare practices from the grassroots level. Second, he believes unnecessary over-the-counter medication needs to be addressed. Self-medication can be particularly problematic with antibiotics. Using them when they are not required can contribute to antimicrobial resistance, making certain infections increasingly difficult to treat.
People may also misinterpret symptoms found through internet searches and start medicines without understanding the underlying cause of their condition. This makes health literacy an important part of preventive healthcare.
Why Do People Still Wait Until Symptoms Become Severe?
Dr Sumit Aggarwal, Director and Head - Internal Medicine, Sarvodaya Hospital, Sector-8, Faridabad, says preventive healthcare and early detection should be among India's biggest priorities. India has expanded its healthcare infrastructure and access to advanced medical treatment, but many people still approach doctors only when symptoms become severe. This delay can make treatment more complicated. For several chronic diseases, early identification can allow doctors and patients to make lifestyle changes, begin treatment when appropriate and monitor the condition before complications develop. For example, identifying high blood pressure early gives a person an opportunity to address diet, physical activity, weight and other risk factors. Similarly, detecting high blood sugar before it progresses can provide an opportunity for intervention. The challenge is making preventive healthcare a regular part of people's lives rather than something they consider only when they feel unwell.
Lifestyle Diseases Need Lifestyle Changes
Dr Ashmitha Padma, Consultant - Internal Medicine, Manipal Hospital, Goa, believes preventing lifestyle-related diseases should be a major priority if India wants to improve health outcomes by 2047. From an internal medicine perspective, she says many conditions doctors encounter regularly including obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease are influenced by everyday behaviours. However, she points out that the problem usually cannot be attributed to one isolated habit. Diet, physical activity, sleep, stress, tobacco and alcohol use, screen time and medication practices can collectively influence health over time. Modern urban lifestyles have made this challenge more complicated. Long working hours, prolonged sitting, easy access to processed foods and fewer opportunities for daily physical activity can make healthy choices difficult. This means improving India's health cannot depend entirely on hospitals and doctors. Individuals, workplaces, schools and communities also have a role to play.
Cancer Detection Needs To Happen Earlier
Prevention and early diagnosis are equally important when it comes to cancer. Dr Deepak Jha, Chief, Breast Surgery and Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Artemis Hospitals, believes cancer care needs to move beyond treating disease after symptoms appear and place greater emphasis on detecting cancer at an earlier stage. "Cancer care must move from treating symptoms to detecting disease before symptoms arise," he says. He highlights the importance of evidence-based screening for cancers such as breast, cervical and colorectal cancer.
Early detection can increase the possibility of treating cancer before it spreads extensively. But awareness alone is not enough. India also needs accessible screening centres, dependable diagnostic services and timely referral systems. An abnormal screening result is useful only if the patient can subsequently access appropriate testing, specialist consultation and treatment. Therefore, doctors say the entire pathway, from screening to diagnosis to treatment, needs to function efficiently.
Prevention Is More Than An Annual Health Check-Up
One misconception about preventive healthcare is that it simply means getting an annual health check-up. Doctors say prevention is much broader. It includes maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, getting adequate sleep and managing stress. It also means knowing personal risk factors and undergoing appropriate screening based on age, family history, sex and other medical considerations. Equally important is avoiding unnecessary medicines and seeking professional advice rather than relying solely on internet searches or recommendations from friends and relatives.
What Could A Healthier India Look Like?
The doctors' responses point towards a common theme: India needs to move from a treatment-first healthcare model towards one that places greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention. That does not mean hospitals, advanced surgeries or specialised treatments are becoming less important. Rather, the goal is to prevent more people from reaching the stage where they require complex medical intervention. For chronic diseases, this could mean identifying risk factors earlier. For cancer, it could mean improving screening and referral systems. For infections, it could mean using medicines responsibly. For lifestyle diseases, it could mean making healthy habits easier to adopt and sustain. If doctors could fix one thing about India's health, their answers may differ in detail, but they converge on a broader idea: healthcare should begin before disease becomes serious. India's medical system has made remarkable advances in treatment, technology and specialised care. The next major step could be ensuring that people use these advances earlier through preventive screening, regular health monitoring, better health education and timely medical consultation. Ultimately, a healthier India may not simply be one with more hospitals. It could be one where fewer people need to reach a hospital with an advanced disease because their health risks were identified and addressed much earlier.
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