New Delhi : It has also become expensive to get treatment for the common man in India. Alam is that more than nine crore people of India spend about 10 to 25 percent of their household expenses on the treatment of themselves and their families, due to which they are facing difficulties in their living. It has been said in the media report that the expenditure on health care in India has crossed the alarming level from where it has become difficult for the common man to live.
A quarter of household spending on health care
According to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) National Indicator Framework Progress Report 2023, a total of 310 million people living in Indian households spend more than a quarter of their household expenditure on health care. The report states that the proportion of households spending 10-25 per cent of their expenditure on health care has increased significantly between 2017-18 and 2022-23.
Highest spend in Kerala
The report found that the number of households spending more than 10 per cent on health care increased from 4.5 per cent to 6.7 per cent. Similarly, households spending more than 25 per cent of their expenditure on health care increased from 1.6 per cent to 2.3 per cent. Kerala recorded the highest proportion of health care expenditure in 2022-23 among many states, where about 16% of households spent more than 10% of their expenditure and 6% of them spent more than 25%. Other states that have registered such a significant increase in health care expenditure include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana.
change in health care
400 million Indians lack financial security
According to a June 2021 report by NITI Aayog, nearly 400 million Indians (30 per cent of the population) lack any financial protection for health, leading to high out-of-pocket expenditure. The report also estimated that the actual number is likely to be higher due to the population not covered as a result of existing coverage gaps in the PMJAY scheme.
