The healthcare system in any state is a vital meter to study the development status. As per the National Sample Survey (NSSO) in 2014, Assam has the highest cost of hospitalisation in urban India. The average expense of hospitalisation in urban areas of Assam is Rs 47,064 despite the fact that over 51% of the population utilise public hospitals and 48.5% use private hospitals.
Also Read: Assam's Rising Suicide Rates Needs Immediate Attention
Interestingly, in rural India, Assam is among the states that have the lowest cost of hospitalisation. The average cost of hospitalisation is Rs 6,966 in rural Assam where 89.2% use public hospitals. This clearly indicates that the 50% dependency on private hospitals by urban population is adding to the healthcare bill extensively.
Expensive treatment is a matter of concern but one issue which is faced by the people in urban Assam and especially Guwahati is that the proper cure for any disease is not easily found. The disease is not easily diagnosed. Despite opting for expensive treatment the patients easily do not understand what has gone wrong with them.
There are few specialists in every field in Guwahati and getting their appointment and meeting them is like meeting God. And even if one gets a chance to get their appointments, the saga of tests starts. So many expensive tests are prescribed, and in some cases, the patients are asked to undergo the tests in particular diagnostic centres not in any other.
In many cases even after the reports are out, the exact disease is not diagnosed, finally the patients opt for going outside the state for treatment. For bone related diseases people go to Patna, for gastroenterology related issues people go to Hyderabad, for eye related issues people go to Nepal and so on. The question remains, what does Assam or Guwahati specialise in? Other than people from Bangladesh or northeastern states, people don’t come to Assam for any specialised treatment. The healthcare scenario in Assam requires a facelift.
