Watch: The Reality Of India’s Primary Healthcare Centres No One Told You About

In a poor country like India, which still calls itself a ‘socialist’ republic, the state has the duty to take care of its citizens’ health, so that each and everyone can afford to get treated. And the government has set up designated PHCs (Primary Health Centres) across the country, for this.

However, the brutishness of poverty ensures that millions continue to receive inadequate treatment in these centres. Drawing on many such experiences, this video reveals just how badly people are disillusioned with a health care system, where some doctors even take the liberty of shouting at their patients.

One of the major responsibilities of the primary health centres is to provide maternal and reproductive support. Yet, numbers reveal that there have been 178 maternal deaths out of 1,00,00 live births in 2012, just because of poor hygiene practices.

Hygiene is not a priority in primary health centres, which struggle without the resources private hospitals can afford. A young girl in the video complains how sanitary pads are littered in hospital washrooms. Spotting blood there is also a reality. The toilets aren’t just used as a place where the patients can relieve themselves. They are used for washing utensils too.

When government money can be used to send a space probe to Mars, why can’t it be better utilised to improve India’s healthcare system?