Healthcare spending pushing millions into poverty in India: WHO

Updated on: Friday, November 04, 2011

A significant chunk of Indian population about 3.2 per cent of total 1.2 billion peoplewill be pushed below poverty line (BPL) due to out of pocket spending in medicines and healthcare services, World Health Organisation (WHO) warned here today.
    
"Most of Indians are spending their out of pocket income upto an extent of 70 per cent on medicines and healthcare services in comparison to 30-40 per cent ratio in other Asian countries like Sri Lanka and still are suffering from the infected diseases in the absence of best quality of drugs and healthcare facilities," WHO Regional Advisor Kathleen A Holloway said.
    
She expressed her views at Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD) and WHO Interactive Session on "Medication Safety in Hospitals", she said.
   
The WHO official further stressed the need for effective monitoring system in India and expressed her concern on lack of Drugs and Therapeutics Committee (DTC) and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC) in Indian hospitals despite WHO's efforts in this direction over the last decade.
   
"These committees can play an effective role in India to provide patients more efficient and rational use of medicines," Kathleen said.

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