India, Aug. 21 -- Health doesn't start with a prescription and end at hospital discharge. One of the most overlooked aspects of our health ecosystem is caregiving. As chronic and age-related conditions become more common, the burden on caregivers will only grow.

We must treat caregiving as part of the health care system, not just personal duty. This means reimagining support structures, including training community health workers, expanding insurance coverage to home care, providing financial support to informal caregivers, and establishing stronger linkages between hospitals and communities. Kerala's Vayomithram programme is one model, but we need more such frameworks, adapted to local contexts across the country.

Care must be more cul...