The ‘Heal in India’ initiative may have several positives but being alert on risks is even more important. Cognisance of the impact on the overall approach towards the Indian healthcare model is crucial. While there have been several ‘hits’, the ‘Heal in India’ initiative cuts across the misses that need to be looked at.
Affordability and accessibility are the two key issues in the healthcare sector in India. Almost 2.1 per cent of the GDP is committed to affordability, which is staggering low as compared with the 9.7 per cent in OECD countries. Moreover, more than 50 per cent of healthcare expenses in India are borne by citizens, pushing 55 million poverty-stricken people further down the abyss.
Almost 28 per cent of the urban population has access to 66 per cent of the beds in hospitals, while the remaining 72 per cent has access to only 33 per cent of hospital beds. In the case of the medical fraternity, 67 per cent of doctors are in the cities.
Please click here to read the full article by Sidharrth Shankar published in The Pioneer.
Sidharrth is the Co-Chair of the Corporate Practice at JSA. He specializes in General Corporate Commercial, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity.