Views on Health Inequalities based on NFHS-5 FACT SHEETS.

NFHS-5 is a factsheet which provides vital information on health, population and nutrition for India and gives high quality data relating to family welfare, emerging issues in the area, recognizing requirement for new programmes and identifying those groups which are in need of essential services. In this blog, I am going to show my analysis on the state of Rajasthan and check whether Health Services available over there are uniformly distributed in the urban as well as rural areas. I will support my argument using several health indicators present in the NFHS-5 Fact Sheet.



(Source: https://www.alamy.com/health-word-written-on-wood-block-medical-business-concept-background-image335149528.html)

The various factors responsible for the rising inequalities in the state of Rajasthan can be summarized through the following points:
A) There may be structural obstacles, such as a deficit of specialist doctors and minimal media exposure, that make it extremely challenging for rural inhabitants, particularly those with low health literacy, to access health information.
B) Medical record accessibility and its utilization are crucial for personal and public health outcomes. Individuals with better access to and use of health information expand their knowledge, use of health services, lower health care costs, adopt healthier behavioral patterns, and thus promote health.
C) Multiple barriers, like location, distance, poor weather, and a lack of financial resources and specialized health care services, make it difficult for rural individuals to receive and use accurate health information.
D) In India, rural healthcare is characterised by understaffed facilities, poor infrastructure, and a lack of medicine. "74 percent of Indian doctors cater to the requirements of the urban population," according to a KMPG research.Patients are still in the hands of quacks and treatments that aren't based on science. In the event of an emergency, the villages must travel significant distances to the nearest hospital, and their only practical mode of transportation is private transportation, which many cannot afford."For every 10,000 people, there is only one allopathic doctor, and for every 90,000 people, there is only one state-run hospital.
E) Infrastructure: The absence of proper infrastructure is the most serious challenge for the rural healthcare system. "The current healthcare institutions in rural regions are under-financed, use sub-standard equipment, have a limited supply of pharmaceuticals, and lack competent and devoted human resources," Satnam Singh, AGM of the Smile Foundation, told BE. Furthermore, insufficient power supply, undeveloped roads, and train systems are only a few of the key drawbacks that make it difficult to establish a rural healthcare institution."
F) Lack of Awareness: In India, there is a lack of awareness regarding basic healthcare. "The people have to be effectively educated on basic problems like sanitation, health, nutrition, cleanliness, and healthcare regulations, as well as the significance of medical services, their rights, financial support alternatives, and the need for efficient waste disposal facilities," Singh continued. It is critical to instil in children a desire to seek medical help."

(Source: https://thewire.in/health/indias-socio-economic-inequalities-visible-in-health-outcomes-as-well-oxfam-india)

Moreover, People and practices in the healthcare industry must be held more accountable, and greater operational transparency must be implemented immediately. One of India's most important challenges is a chronic shortage of medically educated personnel, which includes physicians, nurses, paramedics, and basic healthcare workers. Rural regions, which account for over 66 percent of India's population, remain a source of concern.

(Source: https://www.maxlifeinsurance.com/blog/life-insurance/tips-to-consider-before-buying-health-insurance-policy-in-india)

The doctor-to-patient ratio is still at an all-time low of 0.7 physicians per 1,000 people. In comparison, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2.5 doctors per 1,000 people are needed. This is a long-term procedure that will take time to improve.
The problem may be effectively handled by expanding the capacity of current teaching and training institutions while also adding new ones over time.










































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