Editor,
The editorial, ‘Increasing elderly population needs social security’ (AT, 5 April, 2024) rightly observes that it is necessary to provide healthcare and social security to the growing number of older adults.
Unfortunately, healthcare has practically been allowed to be hijacked from the domain of lower and middle class people. The skyrocketing cost of medicines forces many Indian citizens to stop buying prescribed medicines. As a result, a large section of our population is forced to learn the art of dying without getting adequate medical care.
We need more government hospitals where patients can get quality treatment free of cost. In addition, medicines should be made affordable by controlling their profit margin. India needs to catch up with the global average of healthcare spending in respect of GDP.
Sujit De,
Kolkata