Published on: November 4, 2014

A report in the Guardian titled “How sick are the world’s healthcare systems?” dated 29 October 2014, highlights the pros and cons of healthcare systems in eight different countries, including India.
‘Public or private, India’s health care system is largely unregulated’

…Mazes of dingy corridors, outdated equipment and filthy wards where linens are absent and rats run freely greet the desperately poor and sick patients seeking care.

…India spends just 1.3% of GDP on healthcare, one of the lowest rates in the world.

…According to a 2011 study in the Lancet medical journal, 39 million Indians are pushed into poverty every year due to medical costs, a fact that possibly explains why even Britain’s imperfect and overburdened NHS seems like a dream to many here.

We hope reports like these would bring to light the difficulties faced by ordinary people around the world in their efforts to remain healthy. Also that these would pave the way for a positive change in the way the world perceives healthcare.

Read the complete report by Guardian’s correspondents in China, Brazil, South Africa, the United States, Germany etc.