Situational Analysis of Health Scenario in Rural Karnataka, South India

Abstract

     Rural health development in India traces its history to the seventeenth century when voluntary efforts to serve mankind were initiated by the then rulers. The rural health development functions were assumed by the government in the context of recurrent famines, but in the beginning, they did not have any legal sanctions behind them. We can divide health in India into two divisions: 1) high quality medical care in urban India; and 2) low health infrastructure in rural India. Reports indicate that more than 63 percent of rural people do not have access to modern curative and preventive health care facilities in various part of the country and that only 24.6 percent of doctors are serving in rural areas. Furthermore, there is a large disparity in the presence of government hospitals between rural and urban parts of Karnataka state. Illiteracy, unhygienic health conditions, malnutrition, and a scarcity of potable water from wells are some of the reasons why rural people make up such a large proportion of those suffering from various health disorders. Normally, people with low economic status such as rural folk are the victims of various epidemics and endemics. The major section of rural society is either small land holders or marginal holders having very limited resources. Clearly, their socio-economic status is very low and they cannot spend more money on health. It is stated that there is a positive correlation between the health status of the rural people and their social, economic, and cultural background. This paper is based on a careful review of various reports, secondary data, and experts’ opinion pertaining to the health situation in Karnataka state, South India.