Our city, with its slew of corporate hospitals vying for foreign patients, may be one of the top health tourism destinations on earth. However, for those living in the 500-plus slums here, even basic State-sponsored healthcare is a mirage. It is one of IT city's greatest shames that a poor woman, with two small children in tow, was forced to give birth in a public park in Kamalanagar before dying of excessive bleeding on Sunday before last. In a city where the well-heeled pay a small fortune for the privilege of having their baby in a birthing boutique, surely this is a stark pointer to the abysmal healthcare for those from less fortunate circumstances.
Other cases
Sadly, the case of 35-year-old Purnima is not a one-off incident. Last August, Salma (26) was turned away by an ayah at the Kasturba Nagar Maternity Home when she reached there in intense labour pain. This Bande Slum resident in Kasturba Nagar on Mysore Road, was forced to return home without medical assistance. She gave birth to a stillborn baby as she was alighting from the autorickshaw near her husband Zameer's home.
A month later, 19-year-old Sultana, wife of Chand Khan, was denied proper medical care when she arrived at Jagjivan Ram (JJR) Nagar Maternity Hospital. A callous doctor asked her to go home, and Sultana went on to deliver the child in the toilet of her home in Farooquia Nagar (Arafat Nagar) on Hosahalli Main Road.
Out of reach
Salma and Sultana are only two of the several cases recorded by Rashmi Madhav Prasad and a team of activists from the Society for People's Action for Development (SPAD) that illustrate how the urban poor are treated in the State-run hospitals. Bangalore Urban area, with a population of 95,85,910 (66 lakh in Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike limits), has 220 hospitals, including primary healthcare centres and general hospitals. This is apart from the 94 BBMP healthcare facilities.
In comparison, the growth of private sector hospitals has been phenomenal, with 10,000 private hospitals in Bangalore Urban.
SPAD president Augustine C. Kaunds argues that the urban poor are worse off than their rural counterparts when it comes to healthcare. “The latter are at least covered under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and have Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANMs) to attend to them. It is an irony that a city overflowing with health and medical professionals has very little to offer in terms of healthcare to the poor,” he said.
More awareness
Senior doctors in Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), who admit that most services are inaccessible to the urban poor, said that more awareness on the existing government health insurance schemes such as Janani Suraksha and schemes for BPL card-holders and SC/ST communities in urban areas would help. Pointing out that not many from the city came forward to avail themselves of these schemes in Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, a senior doctor suggested that the government make healthcare free for everyone, irrespective of their social status. “This can happen just by increasing our annual grants,” he said.
'There are schemes'
Bangalore Urban District Health Officer M. Thimmappa said that the State government had good health schemes for the poor in rural areas and some of them were even extended to urban areas. But not many are aware of them.
S. Selva Kumar, Mission Director of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), said these schemes would be implemented in urban areas once the proposed National Urban Health Mission takes off.
Public-private partnerships could be considered in areas where the government facilities are out of reach for the poor, he said.
Keywords: healthcare sector, public health, NRHM
What is the government doing? Really a shame for all of us Indians...no one here is concerned about the needy and most of us busy with our own self.
Why not we do a condle march for such incidents!
The dark side of the IT city - it's poor infrastructure for the poor, is hidden in the facade of it's western culture based mega malls, KFCs, MCDs, CCDs, pizza points, etc. The poor have no say in bangalore. The rich have shattered their mere existence, as stated in the article, w.r.t not only medical facilities, but also cost of living. The rich have contributed to the steep increase in cost of living, cost of medical facilities, etc. So because of these rich who ape the west, hospitals refuse to admit the poor. BMTC has been equally cruel by introducing more AC buses instead of ordinary buses so that the rich can alone travel while the poor have to suffer walking under the sun. Bangalore People are ready to pay millions to mega malls and Mcdonalds that come up in every street, but cry when it comes to paying income tax which is used for constructing hospitals for the poor.
We develop only mega malls, and run behind the western cultured based kfc, pizza hut and MCD . But there's no one to care for the poor. Bangalore is becoming a city of the rich , only for the rich, richer and richest. Count the number of mega malls and western culture based shops- it may be more than a lakh- but count the services for poor- it will be hardly ten or 15. BBMP is also favouring the western culture based shops and people and has thrown poor.
Kudos to Afshan and SPAD! One gets to witness similar incidences across the country on a daily basis. Bangalore isn't an exception and we, the middle-class, are habituated to remain silent on issues not concerning us. We are very happy with five-star facilities provided by apollos, maxs, etc even if a single treatment in such facilities wipes off one's lifelong savings. After all, we want the "best" for ourselves! Who cares if the poor have access to even basic health services?
I was wondering why the author didn't mention anything on an important barrier to people's access to health - discrimination and denial of services based on caste, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Salma and Sultana could have been denied services not just that they are poor but also Muslims. It's important that we get to the root of such denials. Otherwise, health care for all will always remain elusive dream even if managed to make health care free for all at all levels - primary to tertiary!
The Govt must come forward and provide incentives to poor people for not having more than one or two. The poor have absolutely no idea that they are brining forth children in an already populous India with limited resouces and no basic medical care for the poor. Big incentives to the poor who undergo sterilization after one or two children is a must, why let people who are already poor breed children into poverty? What joy does the child grow up with in poverty and malnoursihment.
In western countries animals are treated and taken care of far better then humans in india. India a developing country???, certanily not its people!!!.
What is required is not a good hospital but awareness among pregnant women about child birth. Perfectly healthy children were born even when there were no 'multi-speciality' hospitals. Women need more awareness about pregnancy, delivery and how to tackle child birth when faced with pain. The State could sponsor programmes for all pregnant women to undergo health programs and programs that ward off fear of child birth, etc.
while countries like Dubai and such other forward looking countries give the highest of privileges to their citizens on all counts, not limiting to hospital treatments particularly maternity , its a shame that our country has always looked too low on our fellow men. First such incident should have sparked a major spotlight by the media, alas, they were also busy, capitilising on what they could make money on...
Where was the Husband. The NGOs should educate the urban poor about responsible parenting and family planning. Any amount of street parades and press alerts will not solve poverty. Pointing to currupt practices only highlights what is already known. Let the slum dwellers earn their rights and share responsibility.
Yes, this is a pitiful state of affairs. But why is no one going to the root of the
problem. Would these women get pregnant if they had a choice? Clearly, they are
not living the good life. Which sane person would want to bring new life into the
world, when they cannot even fend for themselves? Doing something positive
would mean educating them about birth control and giving them access to free
semi-permanent or permanent solutions for the same. Getting up in arms about
corporate hospitals is irrelevant. It does not provide a solution. In a free country
that prides itself on progressive thinking in this new century -- give women the
right to choose! That's what all activism and grass roots movements should be
focusing on.
Oh my GOD, why is humanity diminishing, tears roll down my eyes. Why would medical facilities deny help to suffering people. I'm a selfish idiot to think that I don't want to be reborn in this world to see/hear these sufferings. My dear readers, doctors, medical assistants, please remember your profession is noble and you are kept high in respect for your life saving talents. I beg you to choose a different profession if you want to earn more money and not be a medic. One more side of it is for Richie Rich people -- please pay your taxes and don't try to evade (auditors pitch in to direct and help your customers, Govt) the more tax you pay there is more money for Govt to help poor people. If you don't believe in Govt, kindly share your money with poor peole in some way or the other. How can we be at peace with a bungalow when you have to pass thru a slum to reach it. Life is precious, consider the pain of others as yours and help.
Medicine is commercialised and corrupted.
Corporate hospitals get lots of subsidies from the government, with their connections
in the government. The subsidies are not passed on to the poor. A visit to exclusive
parts of a corporate hospital would be more like one to a five star hotel, both in terms
of the quality of service and the fee.
Each and every human being has a right to basic health need, and with the current level
of technology and affluence it is inhumane to see people dying on the street.
Rural women get better health care than urban women living in slums. i
have been working in rural area for the last 20 yrs. the work of anms
and ashas are not as good as it is made out to be. health system is
suffering from corruption and mismanagement. we need goods managers to
tie up the existing workforce and the existing infrastructure. it is a
know fact that anms only show up in the village once a week for
immunisation. home visits the backbone of rural health is almost non
existent.
Being in medical field is considered as a compassionate profession but
a country like India where there is an obsession about generating
personal wealth ,hence Doctors are not immune from it.
Many years ago ,whilst in India on holiday , I accompanied my doctor
brother in law to a gathering which was attended by his fellow
counterparts. Rather than discussing about medicine or ailments it was
money which dominated their conversation. Appalling state of affairs
indeed.
How horrible it is to see Purnima dying before her just born baby. The
private medical hospitals in India are build to attract foreign
patients....but for poor Indian patients, these hospitals have no place.
I agree with Bhuvananeshwari that Government should cancel the license
of those private hospitals which deny to give free treatment to poor
people (within the quota agreed while getting the license).
I still don't get why she was forced to give birth in a park. Without actually saying why this happened, the article tries to connect this incident to other incidents. In the given example - it looks like its mostly private hospitals that are involved. why didn't these people go to govt hospitals? Private hospitals that are run as business can't serve people with no means to pay. They will simply run out of business. If the private hospitals are required to serve emergencies - then the obligation and revenue compensation for the hospitals should be clear in a law or bill.
Fanning jealousy and hatred of well to do doesn't do the author or The Hindu proud nor does it solve the problem. A big part of the problem seems simply to be lack of knowledge as it is evident from this article. Why not try to solve problem instead of blaming others?
This is a Shame to INDIA and every Indian, we cant even provide medical care to our women giving birth to us. there is nthing shameful then this to our country and to ourself.
It's a shame for country like India where on onside Medical Tourism is thriving and on the other side Poor health care for the under privileged. It would take a million years to make our country a developed !!.
This is sad. Corporate governance should be introduced into the health care of India.
This will keep a check on the corporate social responsibilities.
What a shame!! What are the people's representatives doing?
Very hurting! I am feeling powerless as a citizen.
What happened to all the money collected in taxes for Govt. hospitals. Don't keep
blaming the private sector for all the corruption and mismanagement in the Govt.
Finally who votes for these corrupt leaders ? The poor.
This unfortunate incident should not happen in modern India. Why should we blame the corporate hospitals for charging money (at least they are open about it)when out government run hospitals take money from the poor for admission, investigations and treatment by touts prowling the corridors of these hospitals. Slums should be abolished and land should be used productively to build for social houising. People sleeping in the streets, under pipes, tinned stuctures should be housed. We can then plan for sending an Indian to the moon.
When we have developed Law like Right to Education, why can't we have law like right to get Medical facility, in which even private hospitals and medical proffessional included for basic medical facility. this is the way forward.
Capitalism gone wacky, when it comes to healthcare! Hey Govt, go ahead and give away cheap land to hospital corporates, like the one in New Delhi for Apollo, under the condition of treating poor people along with their kachinging cash register with no oversight. When the govt doles out this free or low cost land, people should think who should be having oversight over their part of the deal to provide free health care for the poor.
It's a very sad news!!! Especially that it was a young mother! It is a shame for such a great city like Bangalore. I'm sorry, because I'm in love with this city, but its dark side frightens me sometimes.
disgusting = it is a jungle
Really this is very sad incident. This happens everywhere in India but few cases come in the light. The situation in urban areas is worst. There is no facility for the poor people and this type of accident show where we stand in world community. All facilities are to serve the rich and VIPs. In fact Government needs to draw its attention to poor urban and take the action against those hospitals that are not serving poor people.
Shame, shame on the hospitals and the great so called democracy .i think such hospitals which refuce to help the citizens at time of emergency, especially when two lives are at risk. We should simply close down such hospitals coz if they can only help the people who have money, then we could afford the health care some were else also.lets not wait for the usless government to take action . we as a resposible citizen lets just avoid such hospitals .
Many of the corporate hospitals got land cheap because they promised to
give free or subsidized care for the poor. Government ministers and
officials usually corner the "poor quota". There are no public records
that journalists can access, making this racket quite difficult to put down. The government can perhaps bring a law that requires all hospitals to admit a pregnant woman irrespective of whether she can pay for it or not. Violators should have their licence revoked.
This is horrible situation an alarming also. this shows how we are developing our self with taking only few people who have money and sufficient resources to avail all the facilities. no one is ready to think for those people woh are running out to have these resources.We are developing each and every thing according to the few resourcefull people.This shows how the income disparity grippling our economy. We hurting our self bleeding our own people..........
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