A Healthy India

Health is not valued till sickness comes. And Covid-19 has shown us that for India to be truly a world-class economy, its healthcare system has to be robust

- RAJ VERMA

Sthana bala—is a Sanskrit phrase, which translates poorly to “positional strength” and relates to the influence a place has on a person. There has never been a time when the Sthana Bala of being an Indian in India has been stronger. A country has to get many things right to make its citizens feel this. Powered by GDP growth of 7.3%, India has one of the youngest populations. The demographic dividend that India has been enjoying since 2018 will last us 40 years. No other country of relevance can talk of this window of opportunity. However, historian Thomas Fuller talked about this in the 1600s and Covid-19 has shown us that “health is not valued till sickness comes”. Healthcare in India today is characterised by significant developments but yet there are substantial challenges that need rapid addressal. As the world looks at India, we need to redefine our healthcare to truly enjoy economic growth.

India’s healthcare sector has grown at a compound annual rate of 22% for nearly 10 years. This growth is driven by factors such as investment in healthcare infrastructure, growth in insurance and diagnostics. But we need to now solve for an ageing population, rapid urbanisation, financial constraints, and historically low levels of public spending.