Health care in India suffers from 'urban-rural and poor-rich divide'. Explain.

Rural-urban and the poor-rich divide : In India health infrastructure is significantly biased in favour of rich and in favour of the urban areas. Though 70 percent of India's population lives in rural area, only one fifth (20%) of the hospitals are located in rural areas. Rural

India has only about half the number of dispensaries. Out of about 7 lakh beds, roughly 11% are available in rural areas. Thus people living in rural areas do not have sufficient medical infrastructure. This has led to differences in health status of people. The PHCs located in rural areas do not offer even X-ray or blood-testing facilities.

Another bitter truth is that while the rich are to spend only 2% of their income on health care, the poor are to spend as much 12% of their income. When the poor fall sick, many have to sell their land or even pledge their children to afford treatment. The government run hospitals do not provide sufficient facilities, the poor are driven to private hospitals which make them indebted or else they opt to die.