An unhealthy nation with an unhealthy government.

First we heard reports of deaths of 64 children in a hospital in Gorakhpur in UP. At first we heard that the deaths were due to a lack of oxygen but this was denied by the authorities who blamed encephalitis. Then a report ruled out encephalitis as a cause, citing a number of diseases for the deaths. Apparently, 25,000 children have died of encephalitis since 1978, but 50,000 died before reaching the hospital. Is it possible that Gorakhpur is unfortunate in that its geography is such that encephalitis has become endemic? That is untenable because a vaccine made in India has been available since at least 2013, enough time for all children in the region to have been vaccinated. After all, India has eliminated small pox and polio. Then we heard of deaths of 49 children due to lack of oxygen in Farrukhabad, also in UP. In between, 52 deaths were reported in Jamshedpur, where children are more vulnerable due to severe malnutrition. Prof TJ John is incensed that "India abolished the public health wing of the earlier British Raj. To this day it has not been reinstated, in spite of innumerable pleas and recommendations from public health experts." And yet, the ICS, the British stranglehold that subjugated India, morphed into the IAS, which is still subjugating us. As opposed to clinical medicine, which concentrates on diagnosis and treatment, "Public health is what the state does to prevent diseases and to protect health". "Non-communicable diseases are becoming epidemics -- they are not easily prevented, except by huge changes in behaviour. But communicable diseases are preventable; and not preventing all preventable diseases is gross neglect of public welfare by the state." Very true, but there is a question of cost when the population is already 1.3 billion and growing. The central and state governments employ 1 million women health visitors who visit every home to check on maternal and child health. They are paid an inadequate salary of Rs 2,000 per month, costing a total of Rs 24 billion per year, and are demanding Rs 18,000 per month, which will mean Rs 216 billion a year. The government cannot afford so much money because these women are serving the poor, whereas 4.8 million idle government employees will get a minimum salary of Rs 21,000. There is a severe shortage of beds in public hospitals, so patients are forced to share beds, facilitating transfer of infectious organisms. There is a shortage of doctors so quacks proliferate. The WHO reckons that 57% of so called doctors do not have any qualification. The rich are not much better off. Charges at private hospitals are exorbitant which increase tax collections. Input taxes are between 12-18% under GST. Why bother with Indians, better to treat foreigners. Naturally, healthcare is free for politicians. We are born to die anyway.