We've been traveling in and around Delhi for a week now and have run the gammit of health care delivery in India. We've seen the biggest public hospital in India (AIIMS) where the waiting room was across the street on the sidewalk and there was not a single hand sanitizer pump to be found. And we've visited Max Health, a private hospital, where patients could watch the latest cricket match on a 60 in. flatscreen while they waited for treatment. Although my Hindi is a little rough, it didn't appear that anyone was really complaining at either place. After all, at AIIMS, they were waiting to be seen by some of the best doctor's India has to offer, something that Max couldn't say (but they can't offer housing and lifetime employment). It's just amazing to think that AIIMS sees countless patients a day, but Max is struggling to keep their beds full.
As I'm writing this, we are on our way back from Palwal, where we saw the hierarchy within the National Rural Health Mission, from district hospital, to community health center, to the village sub-centre. Although these facilities functioned in sub-par conditions, the pride that these doctor's, nurses and ASHAs took in the care of their community was incredible. Knowing that the government only spends 1.2% of their GDP on health care now, I would love to come back in another 5 years after they double or triple that number.
That's all from Delhi, on to Mumbai!!
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