An HDI (Human Development Index) rank of 126 (out of 177 countries) indicates that India has not managed to mirror its success in the economic front in human development. Much of our population continues to suffer from poor health services, having limited access to safe drinking water and hygienic sanitary systems; our children, especially those in rural areas, continue to be held hostage to numerous institutional and societal shortcomings.
India’s laggardly human development performance can be found in its under-funded, over-burdened, poorly-equipped and short-staffed public health sector. According to the World Health Organisation, India ranks a dismal 171 out of 175 countries in terms of spending on public health. The infrastructural woes of the health sector are particularly frustrating considering India is one of the top 10 countries for communicable diseases.
