- The two biggest challenges affecting healthcare in India are affordability and accessibility, with urban and rural experiences varying greatly.
- COVID-19 catalyzed healthcare collaborations between public and private sectors as never before in diagnostics, technology and treatment.
- Experience shows that public-private partnerships could be used to improve healthcare delivery across India, particularly in more rural areas.
The two most prominent challenges in the sustained availability of equitable healthcare in India for all are affordability and accessibility. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how public-private partnerships could address both issues for India’s rural communities.
Official figures highlight just how big these two hurdles are. To address affordability, the Indian government spends a mere 2.1% of GDP on healthcare compared to 9.7% across OECD countries, with more than half (55%) of healthcare expenditure coming out from the pockets of citizens.
