Health Is Wealth

We always knew that the “Sarkari Haspatal” (Government Hospital) is the last resort for the hundreds of under privileged of the country. Very few came back intact from the encounter with this land mark of independent India’s babudom. Recently however, a study of seven African countries, published by the World Health Organization in 2000 concluded that it is the wealthier citizens – not the poorest – that benefit most from public healthcare, because health facilities are better in rich, urban areas. In Ghana the richest quintile directed almost 60% of its health spending to the public sector. In all countries, except South Africa, the best-off groups mainly used publicly subsidized health care, while the poor - less likely to seek medical help anyway - generally turned to the private sector simply because it was more accessible, though also more expensive. Then who exactly is benefiting from the huge network of government hospitals, especially in states like Madhya Pradesh, with official infant mortality rates are the highest in the country, was the perennial question.

Now we know. The Income Tax department raided 55 properties across the cities of Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal on 30^th May 2008 and the aftermath is still unraveling. The extent of cut backs is as follows – 10 to 15% of the total amount sanctioned would go to the secretariat during the sanctioning of money to Chief Medical Officer. Next 15 to 20% would go to supplier, another 10% for other expenses. If remaining amount is unable to buy the medicines, the medicines are only bought on paper. The costs of medicines procured in Madhya Pradesh are costlier by 11% to 267% as compared to states like Kerala or Tamil Nadu. A BJP official remarked from Delhi that if these raids continue, only four or five ministers would remain in Shivraj Singh Chauhan government. One among them went today.

The BJP government came to power after the self confessed corrupt government of Congress under Digvijay Singh.