December: A month of Healthcare Programs

Having worked in the corporate sector and visiting more hospitals than I would care to visit in a lifetime, I was absolutely shocked as to how dirty the Indian public hospitals and clinics are. I didn’t really realize that I was going to enter a hospital. We went to meet one of our colleagues who had recently had a baby boy. So as a courtesy visit, we decided to stop by one of the hospitals close to where I live. To give you a brief background of the area, I live in the low income parts of Delhi where most of the workers are migrants from nearby states, in search of better lives and opportunities. However, the abysmal state of the hospitals, especially in the country’s capital is no excuse. Healthcare is free according to the Indian government. However, the universally free healthcare has its constraints and this means dirt covered floors, paan stains on wall and garbage littered across various hallways throughout the emergency and delivery area. I was shocked to see that outside the delivery rooms, tons of people were waiting to see their loved ones, but they were all sitting in the filth! This is not what I expected from a hospital facility. Later, I was told that there is a hierarchy within the healthcare provisions as well. If you want the five star quality experiences that most foreigners go for, you should try the Apollo Health system in South Delhi or AIIMS but of course this comes with a price of more than 2000 rupees per night, which for the average Indian is quite costly. Most Indians make between 10-15 thousand rupees per month. You got to wonder, with India’s expanding population, why health and hygiene given more importance isn’t. No matter where I have been in Delhi, I am always saddened to see the dirty roads, filled with litter and the smog infested air. Delhi is currently preparing to host the 2010 common wealth games and construction is at an all time high. I only wish the Delhi State government would pay more attention to health campaigns aimed at reducing the risks of pollution and ensuring proper healthcare to all and keeping Delhi green. It’s sad to see that the difference between the rich and poor is also shown in terms of quality healthcare for all.