Topic Summary

India’s private healthcare sector plays a dominant role in providing medical services accounting for over 60% of inpatient care and 70% of outpatient consultations nationwide. While it has contributed significantly to expanding access to advanced medical technologies and specialized care, it also remains under-regulated, especially in areas such as price control, service quality, and ethical accountability. Numerous high-profile cases have raised public anger and media scrutiny, exposing serious gaps in transparency, patient rights, and enforcement mechanisms.

Existing frameworks such as the Clinical Establishments Act (2010) and the Consumer Protection Act (2019) offer some oversight, but enforcement is inconsistent across states. Meanwhile, the National Medical Commission (NMC)—tasked with overseeing medical ethics and education—has been criticized for being reactive rather than preventive. Patients often lack clear channels to report misconduct, and medical practitioners argue that fear of litigation may compromise their ability to provide effective care.

This committee must address the balance between encouraging medical innovation and private investment on one hand, and ensuring ethical, affordable, and accountable care on the other. Legislators must also contend with growing calls for a Patient Bill of Rights, price regulation for essential treatments, and the possible establishment of independent medical tribunals to handle malpractice claims efficiently.

Director’s Letter

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to the 2026 session of the Harvard National Model United Nations conference, where I hope you find a multitude of experiences and memories you can cherish for years to come! It is my pleasure to serve as your Director for the Lok Sabha of the Indian Parliament where we will be investigating the privatization of healthcare, placing our government on trial.

My name is Pranathi Ganti, a sophomore at the College living in Cabot House. I will prospectively be studying Neuroscience with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy and a citation in Spanish. I first joined the Model UN team my freshman year of college and immediately found myself surrounded by some of the most fun, vibrant people on campus. I have loved traveling all across the states, meeting new individuals, and honestly just having a great time competing on the circuit. As both a GA and Crisis delegate, I hope that my experience can be valuable to you all!

In my free time, you can definitely catch me doom scrolling without end, reading thrillers that may give me nightmares, and making horrible yet endlessly funny dad jokes! I am excited to meet you all and hope you feel comfortable reaching out anytime for any questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

Pranathi Ganti

Director, Lok Sabha