Punjab tops states on out-of-pocket medical expenses

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 26

People of Punjab spend the most of their money on medical treatment in the country, says a survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation.

The organisation surveyed 1,529 households and 7,797 people and said Punjab had ranked top in terms of out-of-pocket health expenditure. The out-of-pocket health expenditure is any direct outlay by households to health practitioners and pharmaceuticals. It is a part of private health expenditure.

The survey concluded that if a person gets hospitalised, he/she has to spend Rs 28,539 on an average in the state. In Haryana, the average medical expenditure per hospitalisation case is Rs 24,000 against the national average of Rs 18,628.

Among union territories, Delhi and Chandigarh spends the highest with 34,604 and 34,658, respectively.

“Delhi and Chandigarh are relatively small. Among states, people of Punjab bears the highest medical expenditure (in terms of hospitalisation),” said Dr Rajesh kumar, head, School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh.

In the area-wise break-up, the out-of-pocket health expenditure in urban areas is Rs 29, 971 as compare to Rs 27,718 in rural areas of the state.

The survey said 8.1 per cent of the respondents said they were hospitalised in a year.

Experts blame that the lack of public (government) expenditure on health burdens the masses. According to the National Health Profile 2015, Punjab’s per capita spending on health is just Rs 728.

The National Health Profile 2015, monthly per capita household out-of-pocket expenditure in the state is Rs 196.5. In Haryana, it is Rs 131, Rs 95 in Jammu and Kashmir, Rs 134.5 in Himachal Pradesh, Rs 103 in Chandigarh and Rs 132 in the national capital.

The state government is spending just 0.72 per cent of the gross state domestic product on health against the national figure of 1.1 per cent.