Scholar-Professor at Tasmania University (Australia) Prof. Martin Hensher has said that there is a need to rethink the allocation pattern of expenditure on healthcare sector from ecological perspective. “We may have to embark more on localized medical practices rather than embracing high-tech medical practices”, he felt.
Delivering a special talk (online) on “Healthcare and Ecological Economics” under the auspices of Gandhian Centre for Philosophical Arts and Sciences (GCPAS), MAHE. Prof. Martin Hensher, a scholar of sustainable healthcare systems from Australia, pointed out expenditure on healthcare is almost 10% of the GDP in different economies. “But what is more important, is where exactly we spend that money”, he added.
With the growth of the economy, healthcare expenditure is also increasing. This expenditure is productive where basic healthcare is lacking, but it proves counter-productive where there is already excess. High-tech healthcare is environmentally hazardous. Hence, we also need to explore more and more localized medical practices, Prof. Hensher observed.
“We have already crossed planetary ecological boundaries, such as limits on air, water, land etc., Philosophically these are the days of ‘degrowth and demedication’. Any additional expenditure on healthcare will follow the economic principle of diminishing marginal utility. These are the days when simpler healthcare practices need to be explored for all those who need them, without exploiting nature”, he said.
The GCPAS Head Prof. Varadesh Hiregange, Dr. Shreekumar, Dr. Rajaram Tolpadi and students participated in the discussion. Faculty coordinator Ms. Tanishqa Kotian moderated the session.
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