DNA In-Depth: Mumbai sits on a health time bomb

A recent report made after copiously collecting health data revealed to Praja Foundation that Mumbai city spends on an average 9-12 % of their annual income on health expenses. The data also revealed that around 80 per cent of people in the city do not have any health insurance. It is clear that the Maximum city is sitting on a health time bomb.

The shock didn't end there. The Praja Foundation report showed that people living in Mankhurd in the Eastern suburbs are spending upto 12% of their income in medical costs and less than 20 people in the area is having health insurance.

Poor health care infrastructure, high cost of treatment and lack of awareness about existing healthcare schemes are just a few problem areas of the present scenario of healthcare in the city. While poor people are spending more that 10% of their annual income in medical cost, the government has failed to fetch its health care scheme to needy people, due to lack of awareness and limited impact of the scheme.

Dismal condition of primary health centres are forcing poor people to go to private hospitals and spending a big chunk of their annual income as medical costs. This is evident from the fact that the state government has to push its flagship Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) for poor by offering incentives to doctors and paramedical staffs who treat such patients in government run hospitals. The decision is believed to increase number of beneficiaries under the MJPJAY in government hospitals to increase. A study showed that maximum claims are coming from private sectors under the scheme. The MJPJAY is available both in private and government hospitals.

DNA explored health care facilities in the city and why people do not opt for health care schemes and tried to understand what ails healthcare in the metropolis.