Why Taking the Pulse is different, and can make a difference.

Taking the Pulse of India's Health is a National Consultation, run by civil society, for it's many members. As India is the world's largest 'democracy', and has more registered non-governmental organisations and private societies than any other country, it has the unique opportunity to create a system to gather the views of most of its population. Indian Civil Society, which is includes every individual in society, should have a mechanism for hearing and documenting the voices of its members.

Engaging its organisational networks and workplaces and mobilising its leaders allows for the Civil Society to come together for a mass consultation. Every organisation or individual can participate and have a say. This is very different from the small polls conducted by commissioned public relation agencies or research companies, who simply telephone a sample of a few hundred people and draw their 'national' conclusions. This civil society consultation is also different from elections, run by an authority to give personalities or political parties what is called a mandate to decide policies on all issues in the constituency's name, regardless of what small percentage of the public actually voted for them or think about specific concerns.

Differently, Taking the Pulse of India's Health is a process to reach out, to listen and to document the concerns and opinions of millions of Indians, independent of politics and electoral machines. It is a non-hierarchal, non-profit, non-governmental system of 'listening', and then acting together to draft health policy recommendations in the form of a Citizens' Charter for the Government to review, approve and then implement, in partnership with a broad-base of health consumers.

Taking the Pulse of India's Health builds a self-growing 'partnering network' process in which each participant reaches out to bring others on board, increasing the stake-holding in this consultation. Partners play the key role in expanding the network, communicating to their contacts, workforce, associates and communities and engaging new organisations, enterprises and individuals to participate.

Taking the Pulse is 'social-networking' to make India healthier. If a number of India's social-thinkers move from reflection to action by reaching out to their contacts, this consultation will rapidly have a positive impact on health services in our country. It can improve the lives of millions of Indians.
We can make a difference by Taking the Pulse together.