The Unspoken Truth

It has been reported that there are large amounts of corruption in the Indian healthcare system. We have not spoken much about the corruption as we don't want to offend someone or question part of the culture of business in India. Today, however, I met two people who spoke honestly about corruption in the system.

First we had a site visit with the corporate office of Vaatsalya. They are a private company building a network of hospitals for semi-urban areas at affordable prices. The company, which was started in 2005, is not profitable. They also are adamant about not receiving bribes. The executives today told us that they would be profitable if they accepted the bribes which are standard in many similar healthcare organizations.

This evening I had dinner with an executive in Bangalore. In the informal and congenial setting, we were able to ask about the prevalence of corruption. He explained that in his twenties, he was adamant about not giving or receiving bribes. While he is still adamant about curbing the corruption, he also admits that in order to get business done in India, there are some bribes that must be made.

The younger generation apparently is less likely to be part of the corruption. As this population ages, perhaps the corruption will subside. Until then, it is part of getting things done in India.