India’s healthcare sector is not equipped for the unprecedented rise in coronavirus cases which could turn worse, highlighting the continued lack of medical funding to build healthcare infrastructure, Fitch Solutions  has said

Fitch said despite several healthcare reforms, India remains badly placed to tackle the rapid spread of the coronavirus. “The continued lack of medical funding and healthcare infrastructure inform our view for the potential epidemic to be worse in India if it is not adequately contained.

With 8.5 hospital beds per 10,000 population and 8 physicians per 10,000, the country’s healthcare sector is not equipped for such a crisis. Moreover, the significant inefficiency, dysfunctioning and acute shortage of the healthcare delivery systems in the public sector do not match up with the growing needs of the population," it added.

In addition, more than 80% of the population still does not have any significant health insurance coverage and approximately 68% of the Indian population has limited or no access to essential medicines, Fitch said.

Meanwhile, Health care workers and their unions are angry about the end of the insurance scheme. With India reporting over 2 lakh new Covid-19 cases for straight four days last week, they want the Centre to extend the scheme for the welfare of health workers’ families.

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