Ground Report | New Delhi: Covid-19 in India; A new study has found that the average expenditure on treatment of Covid in India is beyond the annual income of the common man. Let us know how much expenditure came out in this study.
The Public Health Foundation of India and Duke Global Health Institute study revealed that between April 2020 and June 2021, an average Indian household spent at least Rs 64,000 on tests and hospitalization expenses. The government-fixed ceiling of prices has been made the basis for the study.
For an average salaried, self-employed, or casual worker in India, the cost of a COVID ICU was found to be at least equal to seven months’ worth of earnings. This burden on irregular workers is equal to 15 months’ earnings.
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The cost of ICU admission was found to be more than the annual income of 86 percent of casual workers, 50 percent of the salaried, and two-thirds of the self-employed. This means that it is not possible for a large population to bear this expenditure.
Covid-19 in India
The cost of isolation in the hospital alone was found to be more than the annual earnings of 43 percent of casual workers, 25 percent of self-employed, and 15 percent of salaried workers. In the study, the average duration of ICU stay due to Covid was 10 days and the duration of home isolation was considered to be seven days.
The estimated cost of an RTPCR test in the private sector, i.e. Rs 2,200, was found to be equivalent to a week’s earnings of a casual worker. Usually, if someone becomes infected, more than one test is needed. Also, everyone in the family will have to get tested, which will increase the burden on the family.
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The study said that these estimated figures should be considered at least as expenditure, as there are many exceptions in government rates and most of them are not even adhered to. In this, the expenditure on transport, funeral, etc. has also not been included.
The study also said that black marketing of oxygen and essential medicines and the tendency to take advantage of the situation may have caused a lot of injury to the patients.
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