There was a 24% rise in rural women accessing public healthcare between 2004 and 2014, according to a new report by Brookings India – a think tank – significant in a country where half the rural population uses private healthcare, which is four times costlier.
Overall, there was a 6% rise in dependence on public healthcare for out-patients and 7% for in-patients over the decade ending 2014, said the Brookings report, which analysed National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data over this period.
An in-patient is formally admitted for at least one night to a hospital, while an out-patient visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment.
For out-patient care, 74.9% of ailing patients (who sought care) exclusively accessed a private facility in 2014, compared to 79.7% in 2004. The biggest decrease was seen among rural women, as we said. While 78.2% of them sought private care in 2004, 70.4% did in 2014.