In a sobering revelation earlier this year, the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reported that only 27% of Indians(35 crore) possess some form of health insurance.

“Around 35 crore individuals were covered under any insurance in 2015-16. This amounts to 27% of the total population of India. 77% of them were covered by public insurance companies. Overall 80% of all persons covered by insurance fall under government-sponsored schemes. Compared to other countries that have either Universal Health Coverage or moving towards it, India’s per capita public spending on health is low,” the report states.

In developed nations (except perhaps the United States), the delivery of healthcare services is not understood as a privilege, but a necessity. For the vast majority of our population, however, acquiring reasonable healthcare is seen as a privilege with the affluent spending vast sums of money to pay for top-notch healthcare.