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The NHDR/PIDE Survey 2001 shows that
the poor are not only afflicted by a high frequency of illness but
also, the high cost of medical treatment constitutes a major factor in
pushing people into poverty.
The poor due to inadequate nutrition and hence lowered immunity are
relatively more susceptible to disease. Moreover the lack of access
over safe drinking water as well as unhygienic conditions of
production, storage and consumption of food would be expected to
result in a relatively high frequency of disease amongst the poor. It
is not surprising that data show that 55% of the poor and 65% of the
extremely poor in the NHDR/PIDE 2001 poor communities survey, were ill
at the time of the survey. The high prevalence of poor health amongst
the poor is also borne out by the National Health Survey of Pakistan.
It shows that in rural areas, amongst low income women of 45 years age
and above as many as about 45% suffer from poor health and over 80%
suffer from poor to fair health. Amongst men in rural areas, almost
60% suffer from poor to fair health. Similarly children under 5 years
of age in rural Pakistan have on average 6 episodes of cough and fever
during the year.
The NHDR/PIDE Survey 2001 shows that not only 65.1% of the extremely
poor respondents were sick at the time of the survey but that they had
on average suffered from their current sickness for the last 95 days.
The NHDR/PIDE Survey shows that rather than going to homeopaths,
hakims or even government hospitals and dispensaries, the poor
predominantly go to private allopathic medical practitioners. This is
reflective of the desire of the poor to get the best possible medical
treatment for their loved ones. It is also reflective of the poor
quality of most government medical facilities and of the lack of
access of the poor over the better ones. Of the poor in the various
income classes, on average, 54% go to private medical practitioners,
13.3% to government hospitals, 8.0% to government dispensaries and
only 5.6% to homeopaths, hakims and others.
Ironically, a large number of private allopathic medical practitioners
who are conducting private practices in the rural areas, are poorly
trained and have grossly inadequate diagnostic facilities. The result
is that when the poor fall ill they suffer for a protracted period and
get locked into a high cost source of medical treatment. Further, the
extremely poor spend Rs.1,885/- on their current illness and 49.4% of
thepatients have to travel over 6 kilometers for their medical
consultation. But given the high cost of medical treatment and
protracted illness due to inadequate diagnostic facilities, in many
cases the poor are forced to sell whatever few assets they have and to
finally borrow money to finance the treatment of their loved ones. The
poignancy of the human condition of the poor in this context is that as
they undertake the noble act of providing succour to their family
members, they get pushed deeper into poverty.
* NHDR 2003, Page
69-70
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Data shows that not only
65.1% of the extremely poor respondents were sick at the time of the
survey but that they had on average suffered from their current
sickness for the last 95 days |
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