With a population of over 1.3 billion scattered across urban and rural India, the country faces a unique healthcare challenge. A WHO report describes the big disparity in urban and rural healthcare infrastructure in the country. For instance, more than 75% of medical professionals are present in urban areas where less than 30% of the population lives. Meanwhile, the 70% of the population living in rural areas suffers from a chronic lack of primary health care facilities. Hospital bed density In India stands at 0.7 per 1,000 people, much lower than the WHO guidelines of 3.5 beds per 1,000. Also, most private hospitals and quality healthcare are limited to only large urban centers.
How to offer world-class care at affordable rates to all its citizens is one of the biggest challenges India faces. Given the scenario described above, technology is the only tool with the potential to achieve this goal.
