An illustration depicting the rapid privatization of healthcare in India.
A camel, seeking warmth, asks to put its nose inside the Arab's tent. Gradually, it manages to get its whole body inside, eventually pushing the Arab out entirely. The Arab is unable to manage the much larger camel.
The fable of the Arab and the Camel, parallels the evolution of public and private health care sectors in India.
With central government health expenditure dismally low at roughly Rs 600 per Indian for the year 2024-25 and gross deficiencies in public health infrastructure, an increasing number of individuals are compelled to seek treatment in private hospitals. However, the unregulated expansion of private healthcare in India has made healthcare unaffordable. It is said that an average Indian is one healthcare bill away from falling below the poverty line.
The comic depicts the state of healthcare delivery in India. It was created by Dr. Abhay Shukla and redrawn by Gayatri.
Edited by Parth Sharma.
