Statsguru: India gets healthier, but insurance coverage still low

Richer households tend to use hospitalisation services more

The latest report by the National Statistical Office shows some sobering signs about public health in India, at a time when the health system as a whole is stressed. The report is based on the consumption expenditure survey of 2017-2018. 

The report found the proportion of people reporting any sort of ailment dropped between July 2017 and June 2018, compared to January-June 2014. Only 9.1 per cent people reported any ailment in cities, compared to 11.8 per cent in the earlier period. In the rural area (chart 1), the proportion came down from 8.9 per cent to 6.8 per cent.