Reconnect public health with people’s needs

The article critically analyzes recent Indian public health policies, specifically the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission. It argues that these initiatives fail to address fundamental issues of healthcare access, affordability, and quality, instead shifting focus from measurable population health outcomes to subjective individual well-being and data generation without strengthening the core public health infrastructure. The author contends that policies are not recognizing people's immediate needs for curative care and are undermining the ability to evaluate health systems effectively.